Cuban Mojo

Photo: flickr user mtcarlson

Ingredients

cup olive oil

8 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced

cup sour orange juice (or ½ cup lime juice + ¼ cup

cup vegetable stock or reduced-sodium vegeta

teaspoon ground cumin

teaspoon ground oregano

teaspoon ground black pepper

Salt

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley

Preparation

Mojo (MO-ho) is Cuba's national table sauce-a tart, garlicky vinaigrette fragrant with cumin and oregano. No Cuban meal would be complete without mojo.

Cubans splash it on everything from seafood to vegetables to sandwiches. The citrus fruit of choice is naranja agria, or sour orange. You can also use a combination of lime juice and orange juice, as many Cuban cooks do in the United States where sour orange is hard to come by.

Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 2 to 4 minutes, or until fragrant and pale golden brown. (Be careful not to let the garlic burn or it will become bitter.)

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sour orange juice or lime juice and orange juice, stock or broth, cumin, oregano, and pepper. Return the pan to the stove. Bring the sauce to a boil over high heat. (Be careful; the mixture may splatter.) Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 3 minutes, or until the flavor has mellowed. Season with salt. Remove from the heat and let

Store in a glass bottle in the refrigerator for up to a week. Shake well before using.

Makes 1 1/2 cups