Garlic Mojo

Have you lost your mojo? To have mojo is to have seemingly-magical good luck, charm or skill. This recipe will bring your mojo back, and while I make no magical claims, it never fails to charm foods in the kitchen. Mojo is extremely delicious and something that cooks of any caliber should have in their refrigerator. Impress your friends with your out-of-the-box thinking in creating this delicious staple.

Transform basic flavors into big ones in under an hour. Spread some on toasted bread for easy garlic bread or purée along with cilantro, parsley, and vinegar to make a quick chimichurri sauce. Blend some mojo with avocado, chiles and tomatoes for a simple salsa — the options are never-ending!

I like to buy a three pound bag of peeled garlic at Costco and make a double or triple batch. A small jar for a hostess gift makes a big impression, so unbox some garlic and get your mojo magic on!

Garlic Mojo

Trim the ends of the garlic. In a medium deep saucepan, add the garlic, olive oil and salt. Sauté over medium heat for 20-25 minutes, stirring often, until the garlic is golden brown. Let cool to room temperature.

Spoon the garlic into lidded mason jars and top with the oil. Leave plain or make a sweet or spicy variation. To make the sweet variation, leave ½” of room in the jar and add the maple syrup. Stir gently to combine. The make the spicy variation, place the whole chile in the jar and spoon the garlic into the jar. The mojo will last one month in your refrigerator as long as the garlic is covered with a layer of olive oil.

makes two pint jars

BASIC MOJO INGREDIENTS

  • 5 cups peeled garlic cloves
  • 2 cups olive oil
  • 2 tsp Maldon salt
  • ½ cup champagne vinegar

OPTION – SWEET VARIATION 

  • ¼ cup maple syrup

OPTION – SPICY VARIATION

  • 1 whole dried Mulato or Ancho chile