Mojo Picon Sauce

This classic Spanish Pepper Sauce offers a spicy and subtle twist on the more commonly known Romesco Sauce. It’s fiery flavors and rich, thick texture make it the perfect accompaniment to proteins and vegetables, and it’s rich orange color gives it a unique visual look. Mojo Picon Sauce is a remarkably simple dish to make at home and can be adapted in many ways based on the availability of ingredients in your local area

Origins of Mojo Picon Sauce

This Sauce comes from the Spanish Canary Islands and made its way to the Spanish mainland where it is commonly found in local Tapas bars all over the country. The sauce was traditionally made using local dried Chili Peppers from the Canary Islands, which pack quite the punch

It’s unique flavor can be replicated using more commonly found ingredients all over the globe. You can either use dried Chilis or fresh Chilis, provided you get enough heat in the Sauce it will definitely pass as a Mojo Picon Sauce

What is the difference between Romesco Sauce and Mojo Picon Sauce

Just by looking at the sauce you may mistake it for Romesco. In fact, the first time we enjoyed this wonderful sauce at famous Melbourne Spanish restaurant Movida, we thought it was Romesco Sauce that had been loaded up with spice

The main difference between the two sauces is that Romesco Sauce is thickened using Almonds, whereas Mojo Picon Sauce uses bread. It may seem strange to add Bread (or Almonds for that matter), to a sauce, but it’s what gives the sauce it’s thick viscosity

What bread to use will make quite an impact on the overall flavor of the dish. Naturally, the better quality the Bread you are using, the better tasting your sauce will be. It’s kind of like adding Wine to a dish; bad Wine = bad tasting sauce, good Wine = great taste

What bread to use in Mojo Picon Sauce

Personally, I think the best Bread to use in this sauce is toasted Sourdough. Nothing beats that beautiful, slightly sour taste of a freshly baked Sourdough Loaf. The thick crust is critical for the sauce, as it’ll blend up beautifully and add a lovely texture to the Sauce

If you caught onto the Sourdough trend in recent years then there’s a good chance you’ve got some Sourdough at home. If not, then you can either pick up some Sourdough bread from your local bakery, or replace it with other types of Bread

Honestly, you’re still going to get a great Mojo Picon Sauce if you simply use regular toasted White Bread. Just whack a crust piece (that are usually discarded anyway right?) into the toaster and use that. Once it’s toasted, break it up into pieces and throw it into the blender along with the other ingredients

The key ingredient in Mojo Picon Sauce is Peppers

The fiery flavors and brilliant orange / red colors in this sauce come from the use of Peppers. There are loads of different peppers you can use in this recipe, and in our opinion as long as you’re using Peppers then it still constitutes as a Mojo Picon Sauce

For our recipe we’re making things very simple by using the classic Red Bell Pepper, a Pepper that is pretty much universally available all over the world. Now, they don’t have any heat to them, so you will need to compliment them with additional heat. For our recipe we used these absolutely amazing Cayenne Peppers in Oil. They’re packed full of heat and taste amazing

What I like about using Bell Peppers is you can really control the amount of heat added to the sauce by adding Chili separately. If you were to make this sauce solely using say, Cayenne Peppers, the whole sauce is going to be insanely spicy

So, use Red Bell Peppers and substitute the heat by adding other Chili. If you can’t find Cayenne Pepper in Oil like we used, try simply adding Red Chilis, whole Cayenne Peppers, or other spicy Peppers local to your area

How to make Mojo Picon Sauce

First step is to roast the Peppers. This will extract the best flavor from them. Whack your Peppers in the oven set at 400F for about 30 minutes. Turn them halfway through and remove them from the oven once charred and black

Allow the Peppers to cool and then peel away and discard the skin, core, and seeds. Throw the flesh into the Blender along with 4 – 5 whole Garlic pieces, some Red Wine Vinegar, Bread, Cumin Powder, Smoked Paprika, Salt, and the Cayenne Peppers in Oil

Then slowly begin to drizzle some good quality Olive Oil into the Blender as you blitz it on a low setting. I recommend only adding as much Oil as needed so that the ingredients begin to blend. Too much Oil and you’ll end up with a thin sauce. You’ll probably need about ½ cup

Once the sauce is blended into a smooth texture it’s done! You can strain it through a sieve if you like, but I prefer to keep it a little rougher. It adds to the rustic nature of the sauce. Try pairing this amazing Sauce with some freshly grilled protein like Chicken, Pork, or Beef. Or, for a classic Spanish Tapas meal try topping it over some crispy roast Potatoes

Mojo Picon Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 Red Bell Peppers
• 5 Garlic Cloves, peeled
• 2 tsp. Cayenne Peppers in Oil
• 1 slice of Crusty Bread, toasted
• 1 tsp. Cumin Powder
• 1 ½ tsp. Smoked Paprika
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 1 ½ tbsp. Red Wine Vinegar
• ½ cup of Olive Oil
  
  

Equipment needed: Blender

Instructions

1. Place the Bell Peppers on a sheet pan and roast in the oven at 400F for 30 – 35 minutes, turning once, until the skin is blackened
2. Remove Peppers from oven and allow to cool before peeling and discarding the skin, core, and seeds
3. Place the Bell Pepper flesh into the blender along with Garlic, Cayenne Peppers in Oil, Cumin, Paprika, Salt, and Red Wine Vinegar. Break the Bread up into pieces and add to the blender
4. Turn the blender on low and slowly begin to pour in the Olive Oil until everything begins to blend. Increase speed to medium and blend until smooth
5. Transfer sauce to a serving bowl and enjoy
   
   

Recipe Notes

• It’s recommended to use Sourdough Toast, but you can simply use toasted White Bread if you like
• You can replace the Cayenne Peppers in Oil with other Chili options like whole Red Chilis, dried Chilis, or Chili Powder. Just add little bits at a time and taste as you go to achieve your desired heat levels
• You can prepare the sauce in advance or refrigerate what you don’t need. It’ll keep for a day or so in the fridge and can simply be served cold or at room temperature
  
  

This amazing Mojo Picon Sauce will instantly transport you to a cozy little Tapas bar in Spain. It’s an incredibly versatile sauce that pairs perfectly with all kinds of Proteins and Vegetables. Or simply enjoy it with a loaf of your favorite crusty bread and a glass of Wine!

For more amazing Sauce recipes just like this one, check out these delicious dishes:

• Classic Romesco Sauce
• Easy Bordelaise Sauce
• Cherry Red Wine Sauce
• Garlic Anchovy Mayonnaise
  
  

Happy Cooking!