Lemon Thyme and Ginger

Liquid Gold: Mojo de Ajo

Liquid Gold: Mojo de Ajo recipe.

Condiment, The Pantry | June 13, 2018 | By

Lets talk. What I have here is something that will turn your homemade food from good to spectacular, Mojo de Ajo, [MOH-hoh day AH-hoh]. Some people call this sauce “liquid gold” because of its’ gold color from the minced garlic and priceless flavor. The name essentially translates to garlic sauce, but some people believe it is more of a condiment than a sauce. While the garlic simmers in olive oil, the raw brashness mellows to a sweet roasted garlic flavor that permeates the olive oil. Mojo de Ajo is worth making and transforms any food it touches.

Liquid Gold: Mojo de Ajo recipe.

Liquid Gold is different from garlic infused olive oil you can buy at the store. There is a prominent roasted garlic flavor with a subtle citrus note. Fresh squeezed orange juice sweetens the olive oil and cuts down on any heaviness associated with oil based sauces.

This recipe is from Alex Stupak’s cookbook, Tacos, and is different from other mojo de ajo recipes I’ve seen. His recipe has extra flavor from minced tomatoes. They add a nice texture and makes it more of a condiment, like a salsa. The tomatoes compliment the garlic infusion like the orange juice, and the toasted spices adds just the right amount of heat.

liquid Gold: Mojo de Ajo recipe.

Liquid Gold: Mojo de Ajo recipe

Read my review of Tacos here.

Special Ingredients for Mojo de Ajo

Most of the ingredients in Mojo de Ajo are readily available at any grocery store, but there are two ingredients that need some tracking down, Arbol chilies and Mexican oregano. You can get both of these ingredients at Latin Markets, well stocked spice stores, and some grocery stores. Arbol chili is usually sold dried whole, retaining its shape and red color. It adds a subtle heat to the Mojo de ajo and worth sourcing.

Liquid Gold: Mojo de Ajo recipe.

Mexican oregano is different from Italian oregano, in fact they are two different plant families. I do not believe they are interchangeable, because they taste and smell so different. Italian oregano has a mintier flavor and I think is more bitter. Mexican oregano is grassier with a slight citrus flavor. When I toast Mexican oregano, it smells like you just walked into a Grateful Dead concert, so you might not want to make this the same day you have your in-laws over for dinner. Despite the distinctive smell, it does not taste like pot but has an herby flavor that compliments many Mexican meals. If you like to make Mexican cuisine it is a worthwhile herb to have in your spice drawer. I promise you it is not marijuana and I use it in all my Mexican food recipes.

Liquid Gold: Mojo de Ajo recipe with skirt steak.

Best Uses for Mojo de Ajo

  • Mojo de Ajo is trans-formative and adds great depth of flavor to any dish it’s paired with.
  • Drizzle it over grilled meats, chicken, fish or vegetables.
  • Braise baby artichokes in Mojo de Ajo instead of the anchovy caper sauce.
  • Use the oil to marinate steaks, then drizzle the garlic and tomatoes over the sliced meat.
  • Roast Shrimp smothered in Mojo de Ajo, and switch up the cocktail sauce with some of the garlic sauce.
  • Add to hummus for extra garlic flavor.
  • Spoon into soups especially ones made with winter squash.
  • Drizzle over grilled tofu.
  • Smear it over toasted bread.
  • Marinate goat cheese in the Mojo de Ajo for a special cheese course.
  • Mix into ground turkey for a turkey burger or meatloaf.
  • Mix into an aioli or mayonnaise for a great sandwich spread or dip.

The possibilities are endless.

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Liquid Gold: Mojo de Ajo recipe.

Liquid Gold: Mojo de Ajo

An amazing condiment made with olive oil, minced garlic, and orange juice. This recipe is from Alex Stupak's book, Taco'sHis version includes diced tomatoes with the minced garlic which adds a lovely texture and subtle tomato flavor.  Mojo de Ajo is delicious drizzled over grilled meats or vegetables, stirred into grains, or smeared over toasted crusty bread. 

Makes about 1 1/2 cups (375 ml). 

Course Condiment, Sauce
Cuisine Mexican
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Author Ginger

Ingredients

  • 2 arbol chilies
  • 1/2 tsp Mexican oregano
  • 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
  • 1 cup (250 ml) extra virgin olive oil
  • 20 cloves garlic, minced
  • Juice from 1 orange
  • 1 plum tomato, diced

Instructions

Make the spice blend

  1. Slice the arbol chilies in half lengthwise and shake out the seeds. Discard the seeds. 

  2. Heat a small heavy skillet over high heat for 5 minutes. Add the arbol chilies, Mexican oregano, and black peppercorns and toast the spices. Shake the pan back and forth so the spiced do not burn. Toast for about 15 seconds and quickly pour the spices onto a plate to cool. 

  3. Pour the spices into a spice grinder and grind them into a fine powder. Set aside. If you do not have a spice grinder, pour the toasted spices onto a cutting board, and mince with a sharp knife to as fine a texture you can get. 

Make the Mojo de Ajo

  1. In a two quart sauce pan on medium heat, add the olive oil and minced garlic. Simmer the garlic until is just begins to get a golden brown, about 8 minutes or longer. Be careful that the garlic does not get too brown or burn. 

  2. Add the orange juice, diced tomatoes and ground spice powder and simmer for a couple of minutes or until the tomatoes are soft n thoroughly cooked. 

  3. Turn off the heat and let the mojo de ajo cool. Pour the whole lot into a glass container with a tight fitting lid. 

    Store in the refrigerator. The sauce will keep for one month as long as the garlic and tomatoes are thoroughly cooked through. Before using, bring the Mojo de Ajo up to room temperature.  

Liquid Gold: Mojo de Ajo recipe. Mojo de Ajo is a garlic sauce used in Mexican Cuisine. It is delicious drizzled over meats, chicken,, fish and vegetables. A great sauce to have in your culinary repertoire.

© 2018, Ginger Smith- Lemon Thyme and Ginger. All rights reserved.

My Favorite Basil Pesto Recipe

My Favorite Basil Pesto Recipe

It is October and that means I need to trim my herb garden and use up all the annual herbs before the temperature drops below 50°. It would break my heart if they went to waste, especially my basil. I have four basil plants and after a rough start they grew, continuously producing new stems and leaves for my pleasure. I was not so fortunate last year. What a difference having an herb garden makes. I can select the amount of herbs I need, and pick them when I want them. Nonetheless, it is time to use it or lose it. Fortunately, the best way I know how to use up a bunch of fresh basil is make basil pesto.

Summer Vegetable Steak Salad with Spicy Citrus Dessing Recipe

Sweet Basil Pesto recipe

There is nothing like a fresh herb pesto to add bright herbaceous pizzaz to pasta, vegetables, and fish or chicken. Usually, I also add in an extra leafy green vegetable or herb, like arugula or spinach, when I make basil pesto. The additional greens add extra body and texture to the pesto. Spinach leaves really softens the basil flavor and smooths the pesto. Arugula’s peppery bite brightens the basil flavor. Both versions taste delicious. For my recipe if you want to omit the arugula, go ahead. This is a classic basil pesto recipe, if you omit the lemon zest and arugula there is no need to add in more basil leaves to supplement it.

Pesto has three essential ingredients: basil, olive oil and freshly grated cheese. The quality of these ingredients influences to the flavor of the pesto. I always recommend buying the best quality food or product you can afford. This is especially true for the olive oil. For pesto, an all-purpose extra virgin olive oil is fine to use. There is no need to buy top shelf extra virgin olive oil, save that for salads. I use California Ranch Extra Virgin Olive Oil for my every day use and I am very happy with the flavor. Unfortunately, the labels on olive oil are misleading and not regulated. 100% olive oil is often not 100% olive oil.  For more information about buying olive oil, here is an article about how to find real olive oil at the grocery store. Also, here from Business Insider.

My favorite basil pesto recipe.

 

Sweet Basil Pesto recipe

Other than the fresh herb in pesto, the freshness of the grated cheese impacts the flavor. The traditional cheeses in pesto are Parmesan or Romano and sometimes both. I use Romano cheese for its sharper flavor, and it’s less expensive than Parmesan. Whichever cheese you use, only use freshly grated cheese. If possible, buy a chunk and grate the cheese at home. Parmesan and Romano cheese are expensive, but they last a long time. If you need to buy grated cheese, buy the cheese that is grated at the store. It is a lot fresher than buying factory grated cheese with preservatives in it.

Want more herb sauce recipes? Check out my recipe for Rolled Flank Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

Sweet Basil Pesto recipe.

Every Italian cookbook author, says never to cook Basil pesto. In general I follow this rule, unless I am grilling salmon with pesto (without cheese). Any level of heat will darken the color of the basil, dull its flavor, and diminish the scent. For best results, serve pesto at room temperature, stirred into warm pasta. When I make it, I make a batch and freeze it before adding the cheese. That way if I need it for pasta or to garnish a soup, I can use the pesto either with or without the cheese. Stir in the cheese a little before adding the pesto to your pasta dish. This will allow the ingredients to meld and the cheese to absorb the oil and basil.

Enjoy.

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My Favorite Basil Pesto reicpe

My Favorite Basil Pesto

Homemade basil pesto is bright and bursting with fresh basil and flavor. I like to add an additional green herb or leafy vegetable, like arugula or spinach to help balance the basil flavor. If you are making a lot of pesto and want to freeze it, omit the cheese. Store the pesto in an airtight container with a layer of olive oil over the top to protect the basil. The pesto will keep in the freezer for up to three months. Defrost the basil pesto in the refrigerator and add the grated cheese before you use it. Pesto is delicious stirred into pasta. This recipe makes more than enough of sauce for a pound of pasta.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 3 /4 cup (200 ml)
Author Ginger

Ingredients

Basil Pesto

  • 2 cups lightly packed (38 g) basil leaves cleaned, dried, and stems removed
  • 3/4 cup (20 g) arugula cleaned , dried and stems removed
  • 1 clove garlic chopped
  • 1/4 cup (27 g) pine nuts lightly toasted
  • Zest of half a lemon
  • 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup (125 ml) extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup (40 g) freshly grated Romano or Parmesan cheese, or a blend of both
  • Little squeeze of fresh lemon juice if needed to brighten the pesto*

Instructions

Basil Pesto

  1. Place the basil leaves in a food processor and process until the leaves are slightly chopped. Add the arugula and process with the basil to combine.
  2. Add the garlic, lemon zest, Kosher salt, and pinenuts and pulse until an even consistency is achieved.
  3. Add half of the olive oil and process until smooth. Using a rubber spatula scrape down the sides of your food processor and stir it around. Add more olive oil until you reach the consistency you want. Taste and correct seasoning. Before you add more salt, remember the cheese is not added yet and is salty.
  4. If using soon, pour the pesto into a small bowl and stir in the grated cheese. Start by adding half the cheese, stir and taste. Add more cheese as you wish. Regrigerate the pesto without the cheese until needed. Add the cheese to the pesto before using.
  5. Stir the specified amount of pesto into your favorite pasta and serve immediately.
  6. Pesto is best used immediately or the day it is made. It will last for a week in the refrigerator, or freeze, without the cheese, for 3 months.
  7. Never heat up pesto. Heat causes the pesto to change color and the flavor lose its intensity.

Recipe Notes

*Adding an acid like lemon juice could change the color of leafy greens and other vegetables. If you feel the pesto needs to get brighter, add a little squeeze of lemon juice just before using.

© 2017 – 2018, Ginger Smith- Lemon Thyme and Ginger. All rights reserved.

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