40 min
Malaysian-Style Char Kway Teow with Prawns, Chicken & Bean Sprouts
Wide rice noodles pick up smoky wok flavor with juicy prawns, tender chicken, fish cake, eggs and crisp bean sprouts in a balanced savory-sweet sauce.
Seafood
Puerto Rican Mofongo with Garlic Shrimp
Crisp-fried green plantains mash with garlic into individual mofongo bowls, ready to catch tender shrimp and a savory lime-brightened pan broth.
Directions
Season and chill the shrimp
Pat shrimp dry and toss with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Refrigerate while preparing the plantains.
Peel and cut the green plantains
Trim both ends, score each peel lengthwise without cutting deeply into the flesh and pry away the peel. Cut plantains into 1-inch rounds.
Fry the plantains
Heat neutral oil in a heavy pot to 325°F, keeping the pot no more than half full. Fry plantains in batches for 8 to 10 minutes, turning, until golden and tender but not crisp. Maintain 300°F to 325°F and transfer with a slotted spoon to a rack or paper towels.
Start the garlic shrimp broth
Thinly slice 4 garlic cloves and finely grate the remaining 4. Heat olive oil in a wide skillet over medium. Cook sliced garlic, onion and bell pepper for 4 minutes. Add 1 cup broth, oregano, 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper; simmer 5 minutes.
Mash four mofongo portions
Working while the plantains are hot, pound one-quarter of them with one-quarter of the grated garlic, 2 tablespoons warm broth and a pinch of the remaining salt in a pilón or sturdy bowl. Stop at a cohesive, rustic mash. Pack into a lightly oiled small bowl, invert onto a warm serving bowl and repeat for four portions.
Cook the shrimp safely
Bring the skillet broth to a steady simmer. Add shrimp in one layer and cook 2 to 4 minutes, turning once, until opaque and 145°F at the thickest part. Remove the skillet from heat immediately.
Finish and serve
Stir lime juice and cilantro into the shrimp broth. Spoon shrimp, onions, peppers and plenty of broth around each mofongo. Serve at once with lime wedges and hot sauce at the table.
Why this works
Why it worksFrying thick plantain rounds at a moderate 325°F cooks their centers before their surfaces become too hard to mash.
Why it worksWarm broth hydrates the fried plantains a spoonful at a time, producing a cohesive but still rustic mound that can absorb the shrimp sauce.
Why it worksShrimp cook only at the end and come off the heat at 145°F, so the garlic broth develops first without making them rubbery.
Useful kitchen gear
Tools that make this easier.
Compare the function and specifications first; skip anything your kitchen already handles well.
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Compare on AmazonLarge pilón or mortarPound hot fried plantains with garlic and measured broth into four cohesive, rustic portions.See current options →
Compare on AmazonClip-on frying thermometerHold the oil between 300°F and 325°F so the thick plantain rounds cook through without hardening.See current options →
Compare on AmazonInstant-read thermometerRemove the shrimp from the simmering broth as soon as their thickest parts reach 145°F.See current options →
Swaps & notes
Easy swaps
- Use vegetable broth for a pescatarian base; choose a low-sodium broth so the plantain mash and shrimp can be seasoned separately.
- For a pork-inclusive traditional variation, pound 1/2 cup crushed chicharrón into the plantains and reduce the added salt to taste.
- If you do not have a pilón, use a sturdy mixing bowl and potato masher, working in four small batches while the plantains are hot.
Cook notes
- Use firm green plantains, not yellow sweet plantains; their starch is what gives mofongo its savory structure.
- For frying safety, keep the pot no more than half full, dry plantains well, monitor the oil with a thermometer and never leave hot oil unattended.
- The photograph shows a generous golden broth with visible shrimp, onion and green pepper; spoon the sauce around, not only over, each plantain mound.
Storage
Mofongo is best immediately. Refrigerate cooled plantain mash and shrimp broth separately within 2 hours for up to 3 days. Reheat the shrimp and broth gently to 165°F and warm the mash covered with a splash of broth; do not refry. Freezing is not recommended for the shrimp.
Questions
Can I air-fry the plantains?
You can, but the result is drier and less traditional. Toss the rounds with 2 tablespoons oil, air-fry at 375°F until tender and golden, then add warm broth gradually while mashing.
Why will my plantains not hold together?
They may have cooled or need moisture. Mash them while hot and add warm broth one tablespoon at a time until the mixture packs firmly without becoming wet.
How do I avoid overcooking the shrimp?
Build and season the broth first. Add shrimp only to the simmering finished broth, turn once and remove the skillet from heat as soon as the thickest pieces reach 145°F.
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Puerto Rican Mofongo with Garlic Shrimp
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1. Season and chill the shrimpPat shrimp dry and toss with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Refrigerate while preparing the plantains.
2. Peel and cut the green plantainsTrim both ends, score each peel lengthwise without cutting deeply into the flesh and pry away the peel. Cut plantains into 1-inch rounds.
3. Fry the plantainsHeat neutral oil in a heavy pot to 325°F, keeping the pot no more than half full. Fry plantains in batches for 8 to 10 minutes, turning, until golden and tender but not crisp. Maintain 300°F to 325°F and transfer with a slotted spoon to a rack or paper towels.
4. Start the garlic shrimp brothThinly slice 4 garlic cloves and finely grate the remaining 4. Heat olive oil in a wide skillet over medium. Cook sliced garlic, onion and bell pepper for 4 minutes. Add 1 cup broth, oregano, 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper; simmer 5 minutes.
5. Mash four mofongo portionsWorking while the plantains are hot, pound one-quarter of them with one-quarter of the grated garlic, 2 tablespoons warm broth and a pinch of the remaining salt in a pilón or sturdy bowl. Stop at a cohesive, rustic mash. Pack into a lightly oiled small bowl, invert onto a warm serving bowl and repeat for four portions.
6. Cook the shrimp safelyBring the skillet broth to a steady simmer. Add shrimp in one layer and cook 2 to 4 minutes, turning once, until opaque and 145°F at the thickest part. Remove the skillet from heat immediately.
7. Finish and serveStir lime juice and cilantro into the shrimp broth. Spoon shrimp, onions, peppers and plenty of broth around each mofongo. Serve at once with lime wedges and hot sauce at the table.