Mojo isleño is the traditional sauce of Puerto Rico, much like Cuban mojo is the signature sauce of Cuba. It is widely recognized and popular across the island—thus, the name “islander sauce.”
Unlike many Latin American dishes, Puerto Rican cuisine isn’t spicy and doesn’t include hot chiles in typical recipes. Instead, dishes are mild but very flavorful with the use of tropical fruits and vegetables that provide both sweet and savory sides to recipes. Fish and shellfish play a big role in island cuisine, as well, and mojo isleño is a common accompaniment.
The base of the sauce includes simple, fresh ingredients, such as tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Many recipes call for prepared tomato sauce in place of tomatoes, but fresh tomatoes bring out the optimum flavor and texture of the sauce. Other traditional ingredients include green olives, capers, and bay leaves, along with an acid such as vinegar or lemon or lime juice.
This recipe omits the bay leaves and uses red wine vinegar, mild cubanelle chile, and fresh tomatoes. The sauce cooks long enough for the tomatoes to break down but still retains a bit of chunky texture to spoon over the flaky cod.
Puerto Rican Fish with Mojo Isleño, or “Islander Sauce”
Serves 2 (easily doubled)
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1/4 small onion, chopped
- 1/2 cubanelle chile (or 1/2 small green bell pepper), chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1/2 pint grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise (or cherry tomatoes, quartered lengthwise)
- 2 tbsp finely chopped green olives
- 1 tsp capers, rinsed and coarsely chopped
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2 5- to 6-oz. skinless cod filets about 3/4-inch thick (may substitute red snapper or tilapia; adjust cooking time according to thickness)
Preparation
- Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onion and chile and cook until beginning to soften, 3-4 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently to prevent burning, until very fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the tomatoes, olives, capers, and red wine vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a slight simmer, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook slowly until the tomatoes have broken down and the flavors have melded, 15 minutes.
- Remove the sauce to a bowl. Do not wipe out the skillet.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet and swirl to coat. Season the cod with salt and pepper and sear until beginning to brown, 1-2 minutes per side.
- Pour the reserved mojo isleño over and around the fish and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer until the fish flakes easily with a fork, about 5 minutes, depending on thickness.
- Divide the fish and sauce between two plates and serve hot.
Pamela Steed Hill - Pamela Steed Hill is an editor, freelance writer, and home cook. She has published over 250 food articles and recipes online.
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