Sofrito Puerto Rican Magic
Ingredients
| 2 medium Spanish onions, cut into large chunks | ||
| 3 to 4 Italian frying peppers or cubanelle peppers | ||
| 16 to 20 cloves garlic, peeled | ||
| 1 large bunch of cilantro washed, stems and leaves | ||
| 7 to 10 ajuices dulces (see note below) | ||
| 4 leaves of culantro ( this is cilantro to the 15th power, if you can't find culantro add an extra bunch of cilantro.) | ||
| 3 to 4 ripe plum tomatoes( if you can find fresh ripe tomatoes use canned) cut into chunks | ||
| 1 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into chunks |
If you have never eaten Puerto Rican food you are really missing the boat. Many of the dishes reflect a confluence of flavors, Spanish,Caribbean, African.. The flavors are rich, and spicy, but not too hot. The secret in Puerto Rican cooking is not one ingredient but a combination of ingredients when mixed together are called “sofrito”.
Sofrito is indispensable in Puerto Rican cooking. It’s universal and it is very easy to make. This recipe is an adaptation of a recipe developed by Daisy Martinez, the queen of NYC Puerto Rican cuisine. What sofrito does is add freshness, herbal notes and zing to dishes. You can use sofrito in everything from yellow rice, black bean soup, spaghetti sauce. If it’s a savory dish, the chances are that sofrito will make it better. also sofrito can be easily frozen and used when needed. Also you can make enough in 10 minutes to flavor a dozen dishes.
- Chop the onion and cubanelle peppers in the work bowl of a food processor until coarsely chopped.
- With the motor running, add the remaining ingredients one at a time, and process until smooth.
- The sofrito will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days or freeze sofrito in 1/2 cup batches in seal-able plastic bags
- Note.. Ajuices dulces are tiny sweet peppers with a hint of heat…they look like miniature habanero peppers but they are not anywhere near as hot… they range in color from light to medium green, yellow to red.
- Sofrito may be added to almost any dish where you want a burst of flavor.It can be used as a marinade in raw form, or it may be sauteed and added to your desired recipe..Use your imagination.
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