Mofongo Crisp Wafer with Garlic Oil and Sea Salt
Delicate, crunchy wafers infused with roasted garlic oil and finished with flaky sea salt. These Caribbean-inspired crackers blend the deep, savory flavors of mofongo into a thin, crispy bite. Perfect as an appetizer, snack, or elegant accompaniment to soups and stews. The plantain flour provides a subtle sweetness that balances the intense garlic and buttery richness.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 18 min
- Wait
- 30 min
- Total
- 1 hr 13 min
- Makes
- 24 wafers (about 2½ inches / 6 cm)
Steps
Before you start
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper
- Prepare the garlic oil ahead of time so it cools completely
- Have all dry ingredients measured and ready before mixing the wet ingredients
Make the garlic oil
- Heat olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
- Add the thinly sliced garlic and stir constantly for 5–7 minutes until the garlic turns pale golden and becomes fragrant.
- Do not brown the garlic or it will taste bitter.
- Pour the garlic oil into a small bowl and let it cool completely to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
- You should have about 4 tablespoons (60 ml) of cooled garlic oil with tender garlic pieces.
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Ready when: Garlic is pale golden and fragrant, oil is cooled
Tip: Slice garlic as thinly as possible so it cooks evenly and infuses the oil quickly without burning.
Combine dry ingredients
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together plantain flour, all-purpose flour, cornstarch, fine sea salt, and white pepper until evenly distributed.
- This ensures the seasonings are uniform throughout the wafer dough.
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Ready when: Dry ingredients are evenly combined
Tip: Sift if any lumps appear in the plantain or all-purpose flour.
Cut in the butter
- Add the cold butter cubes to the dry mixture.
- Using your fingertips or a pastry cutter, work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with some pea-sized butter pieces remaining.
- This texture is crucial for creating a crispy, flaky wafer.
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Ready when: Mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with pea-sized pieces of butter visible
Tip: Keep butter as cold as possible; warm butter will make the wafers tough instead of crispy.
Add garlic oil and water
- Pour the cooled garlic oil (with all the garlic pieces) into the butter-flour mixture.
- Drizzle in the ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring gently with a wooden spoon or flexible spatula just until the dough comes together.
- The dough should be slightly sticky but hold together when pressed; do not overwork it.
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Ready when: Dough just comes together when pressed, no dry flour remains
Tip: Add water gradually and stop as soon as the dough coheres—overworking develops gluten and makes wafers tough.
Chill the dough
- Form the dough into a rough disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- This resting time allows the flour to fully hydrate and makes the dough easier to roll out without cracking.
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Ready when: Dough is cold and firmed up
Tip: You can chill the dough for up to 2 hours if needed.
Preheat and roll doughOven 350°F / 175°C
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- On a lightly floured work surface, roll the chilled dough as thin as possible—about 1/16 inch (2 mm)—working from the center outward.
- If the dough cracks at the edges, pinch it back together gently.
- Aim for even thickness throughout so the wafers bake uniformly.
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Ready when: Dough is rolled to 1/16-inch thickness
Tip: If dough becomes too warm and sticky while rolling, place it back on a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate for 5 minutes.
Cut wafers
- Using a 2½-inch (6 cm) round cookie cutter or a template and sharp knife, cut out circles from the rolled dough.
- Place each wafer on the prepared parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving about ½ inch (1 cm) between them as they will expand slightly during baking.
- Gather scraps and re-roll if desired to cut more wafers.
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Ready when: Wafers are cut and arranged on baking sheets
Tip: Keep wafers evenly spaced so they crisp up uniformly without touching.
Top with sea salt
- Before baking, sprinkle each wafer with a small pinch of fleur de sel or Maldon sea salt.
- The salt adds both flavor and a delicate, visual finish.
- Use a light hand—a little salt goes a long way.
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Ready when: Wafers are lightly salted
Tip: Coarse sea salt crystals will remain visible and crisp; avoid fine salt which will dissolve into the dough.
Bake until golden and crispOven 350°F / 175°C
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 15–18 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through (after about 8 minutes) for even browning.
- The wafers are done when they are pale golden and feel crisp to the touch at the edges.
- The centers may still feel very slightly soft when warm but will continue to crisp as they cool.
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Ready when: Wafers are pale golden and crisp at the edges; centers firm up as they cool
Tip: Watch carefully in the final minutes—thin wafers brown quickly and can go from golden to too dark in seconds.
Cool and crisp on a rack
- Transfer the baking sheets to a cooling rack or set them on a heat-safe surface.
- Let the wafers rest on the sheets for 5 minutes so they can firm up completely.
- Transfer them to a wire cooling rack and let cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.
- They will crunch loudly and become fully crisp as they cool.
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Ready when: Wafers are fully cooled and crisp, snapping when broken
Tip: Do not stack wafers while warm or they will stick together; wait until completely cool before storing.
Good to know
Tips
- Thin wafers are the goal: aim for 1/16-inch thickness. Too thick and they will be cake-like; too thin and they may burn before crisping. Rolling between two sheets of parchment paper can help control thickness.
- Plantain flour should be unsweetened and made from green (unripe) plantains for a savory, starchy result, not sweet plantain flour, which will throw off the balance of flavors.
- These wafers are best served the same day they are baked or the day after, when they are at their crispest. Humidity is their enemy, so avoid serving or storing them on very humid days.
- For a spicier version, add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper to the dry ingredients, or finish with a tiny pinch of smoked paprika before baking.
Make ahead
The dough can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept refrigerated, wrapped in plastic wrap. The baked wafers can be baked up to 4 days ahead and stored in an airtight container.
Storage & reheating
Store cooled wafers in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag at room temperature for up to 4 days. They will stay crisper in a cool, dry place away from humidity. Wafers can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks; refresh in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 3–4 minutes before serving to restore full crispness. Do not refrigerate, as moisture will soften them.
Substitutions
- plantain flour → cassava flour or cornmeal (use 3/4 cup / 95 g if substituting with cornmeal, as it is denser). Cassava flour will yield a similar tender crumb with a slightly earthier flavor; cornmeal will be grainier and less delicate but still delicious.
- extra virgin olive oil → neutral oil (vegetable, canola, or light olive oil) with the same amount of roasted garlic cloves stirred in after cooling. This gives you a more neutral base while keeping the roasted garlic punch.
- fleur de sel or Maldon sea salt → kosher salt or any coarse sea salt. Any coarse, flaky salt works; avoid ultra-fine table salt, which will dissolve into the dough.
- unsalted butter → a mixture of 3 tablespoons (45 g) butter and 3 tablespoons (45 ml) coconut oil, both chilled. Coconut oil adds a subtle sweetness and richness; use refined coconut oil to avoid a pronounced coconut flavor.
