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Rose’s Dominican Mangú con Los Tres Golpes

Mangu tres golpes Rose

Mangú con los tres golpes is the Dominican dish of our dreams. It has forever been on our comida Latina bucket list here at Familia Kitchen. For all of us non-Dominicans, mangu is mashed plantain, topped with sautéd red onions and olive oil or butter. The second part of the dish’s name—los tres golpes (which means ”the three hits’)—refers to the trio of foods alongside the mangu: fried egg, fried salami, and fried cheese.

That’s a whole lot of fried—and a whole lot of delicioso.

Which is why we are muy, muy excited to share one family’s special recipe for this beloved breakfast tradition: Muchas gracias for sharing your receta, Rosangela “Rose” Rosario, owner of the beloved Brooklyn, N.Y.-based Angela’s Bakery.

If you are from the New York City/Brooklyn area and have even a chispito of D.R. or Puerto Rican heritage in you, you’ve likely eaten Dominican cake from Angela’s Bakery. Famous for its moist and airy texture and meringue frosting, Angela’s famous bizcocho Dominicano is served all over the triborough area at just about every Latino birthday party. (Don’t live near New York? No worries! You can get your Angela’s Cake Mix from our Familia Kitchen La Tienda and here.) The bakery was started by Angela, Rose’s mother, who had taken a bakery course on a whim and put her skills to making the best-known dessert from her homeland, Santo Domingo. Rose has been working at the family bakery since she was 16, when it opened in 2003. From counter clerk to CEO: it’s been quite the ride. 

Angela and Rose of Angela's Bakery Dominican Cake
Rose and and her mother, Angela, are famous in Brooklyn for their Dominican cake and sweet shop, Angela’s Bakery. At home, Angela is family-famous for many dishes, including mangu con los tres golpes.

Not only is she a tremenda baker, Angela is also a cocinera fantástica, even though she claims not to enjoy cooking, says her daughter. “My mom comes from a family of 10: five boys, five girls. She and all my aunts say they don’t love to cook—and all are really great cooks.” As if to prove her daughter’s point, over Rose’s shoulder during our video call, I can see Angela in the kitchen, whipping up a large batch of mangú. 

Which means Rose is ”in heaven,” say says. Mangu is one of her favorite dishes—ever. Does she remember when she first ate mangu? “I can’t,” she shakes her head. “I have been eating this my whole life. I could eat this every single day. And I would never get tired.”

Why This Mangú Is Different—and Amazing

Her family’s mangu con los tres golpes is extra good, Rose says, because they mix green and ripe plantains. “The traditional way is with only green plantains, but we do it is a little bit different because we use both el plátano maduro y el plátano verde.

“It is to die for,” Rose says. She and her mom mix bright-green and yellow-turning-black plantains—with lots of butter: “like mashed potatoes. Some people add water, but we don’t really do that because el plátano maduro is already soft and smooth. And then, of course I add my onion, because I love onion, guisa’ita”—sauted and translucent reddish pink, she says. 

The final touch to Rose’s beloved mangu: Garnish it with two to three slices of avocado, drizzled with avocado oil and a final, perfect pinch of salt.

Got 15 Minutes? Make Mangu

Like most of her mom’s dishes, this one takes about 15 minutes to make—total, says Rose. That’s one of the many talents of Angela. Her mom will poke her head into the refrigerator, grab the first several ingredients she sees, and make a delicious, traditional meal—in mere minutos. “With whatever she finds in the nevera. And it’s crazy how it comes out so good. I’m like, ‘Mami: ‘When I try that, it doesn’t come out so good: no me sale.’ But for her, yes.”

The traditional version is tres golpes, but truthfully, this recipe version should be called mangú with los dos golpes, since Angela and Rose serve their plantain mash with just two of the three sides: fried egg and salami.

No queso, no problem. As long as the dish has mangu at its center, and the fried egg and the salami are right there next to it, Rose and her family are in comida heaven.

Ready to Make Mangu con los Tres Golpes?

Rose’s Dominican Mangu con Los Tres Golpes

Recipe by Rose Rosario
4.5 from 2 votes
Cuisine: Dominican
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

15

minutes

Ingredients

  • For the Mangú
  • 2 green plantains, peeled

  • 2 ripe plantains (maduros), peeled

  • 2 cups water, or more if needed to cover plantains

  • 1 pinch salt

  • 2 to 3 Tbsp butter

  • 1 red onion, sliced in thin rings

  • 2 to 3 Tbsp avocado oil

  • 1 tsp white vinegar

  • For the Eggs
  • 4 eggs

  • 1 Tbsp avocado oil for frying the eggs

  • For the Salami
  • 12 slices Dominican salami, thinly sliced

  • 1 Tbsp avocado oil, for frying the salami

  • For the Cheese
  • 8 slices frying cheese (queso de freir), cut into ⅓-inch slices

  • 3 Tbsp flour

  • 1 Tbsp avocado oil, for frying the cheese

  • For the Garnish, Per Plate
  • 2 to 3 slices avocado

  • 1 sprinkle avocado oil, olive oil or your favorite kind of cooking oil

  • 1 sprinkle salt

  • 1 sprinkle garlic powder

Directions

  • Make the Mangu
  • Peel the four plantains lengthwise and slice each in quarters.
  • Place a saucepan on high heat. Add about 2 cups of water. When it boils, add the green and maduro plantains and lower the heat to medium. The amount of water may shift according to the width of your pan. The water should cover the plantains.
  • Add a pinch of salt to water. Boil for about 10 minutes.
  • When the ripe maduro plantains become soft, all 4 plantains are ready. Take the pan off the burner. Drain the plantains and return them to the warm pan.
  • Mash the plantains (like mashed potatoes), with the butter. Keep warm and set aside.
  • Saute the Red Onions
  • While the plantains are boiling, warm the oil in a second frying pan.
  • Add the onions, a pinch of salt, and the vinegar.
  • Saute until the onions are soft. Set aside and keep warm.
  • Fry the Eggs
  • Add the oil to a hot pan.
  • Pan fry the eggs sunny side up, over easy, or even scramble)—however you like your eggs. Set aside and keep warm.
  • Fry the Salami
  • Add the oil to a hot pan.
  • Pan fry the thin-sliced salami 1 to 2 minute on each side, so that both are golden- browned. Set aside and keep warm.
  • Fry the Cheese (Optional: Traditional—But Not in Rose’s Recipe)
  • Add the oil to a hot pan.
  • Dip the medium-cut cheese slices in flour. Shake off the excess.
  • Pan fry the cheese slices for 1 to 2 minutes per side, until both are golden-browned.
  • Putting It All Together
  • Place a heaping scoop of hot mangu mash on each plate,
  • Add a spoonful or two of red onions on top of the mangú.
  • Per plate, add 1 egg, 3 slices of salami and, if using, the 2 fried slices of cheese—surrounding the mangú mound in the center.
  • Garnish each plate with several slices of avocado, with a little avocado or olive oil, a dash of salt and a dash of garlic powder. Está listo! Buen breakfast provecho.

Notes

  • The rule of thumb for making mangu is one plantain per person, says Rose.
  • For the salami, Rose uses traditional Induveca salami brand. For the frying cheese, the most traditional D.R. brand is Tropical Queso de Freir.
  • Rose’s go-to oil is healthy avocado oil. Feel free to use olive oil or your family’s cooking oil of choice, she advises.
Rose of Angela's Bakery Dominican cake
Rose Rosario is president and CEO of Angela’s Dominican Cake Mix, co-owner at Angela’s Bakery in Brooklyn, AND maker of a mean mangú!
Dominican Cake Mix Angelas
Angela’s Bakery, located in Brooklyn, is famous for its Dominican cakes—which are light, airy and topped with meringue frosting. Non-New Yorkers, don’t despair. You can order the custom-make mix here and make it at home for your next special ocasión.

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