Mojo Picón; Red Garlic Sauce

This red paprika & garlic sauce is the primary topping for Papa Arrugas. Ther'es a green variant too that uses cilantro (but no paprika)

Makes: 1 cup
Takes: 15 minutes
Equipment: A large mortar & pestle (large enough to hold the whole mixture), a stick mixer (batidora). Or, failing a mortar & batidora some equivalent mixing device (maybe a blender)

Ingredients:

• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 t cumin seeds
• 2 small dried chilies (deseeded)
• some salt
• 3 T breadcrumbs
• 1 T paprika (sweet [regular] or smoky [chorizo]) (pimenton)
  
• 2 T red wine vinegar
• 4-5 T olive oil
• 1/2 C water, approx

optional:

• 2 T tomato sauce (tomate frito)

Instructions:

1. Using a mortar and pestle mash the garlic, cumin and the chilis with salt [salt acts as a catalyst for the crushing action).
   If you don't have a mortar & pestle add the vinegar now and use the stick mixer or whatever. The mortar is preferred because it gives a smoother flavor & texture.
   These are the main flavor ingrenients so mash then together really well. There will be no chunks of garlic and the cumin seed will have been pulverised; you might still see flakes of peppers (they do not pulverise well).
   
2. Add the paprika, vinegar, oil; continue to mash it around (you can switch to the batidora now if you like. For authenticity keep going with the mortar right until the end)
   
3. Add the bread crumbs; mash some more (it will be pasty)
4. Add 1/2 the water; mash
   
5. Taste. If it's too spicy add a tablespoon or 2 of tomato sauce to quiet it down. If it's bland add salt. If it's not hot enough add maybe add a chili sauce - something like tabasco)
   
6. Slowly add additional water until a saucy consistency is reached (think of a thin ketchup style). A consistency that's good for spooning over and sticking to the boiled potatoes (see previous recipe)
   

Done.