In Puerto Rico
sofrito ( > ?
freir = to fry) is a mixture of
herbs and
spices which is
essential in the
preparation of many foods, but particularly
beans. Each
household has its own
secret recipe or you can buy it in
jars at the
store (this fact is also kept secret). I have been assured that the following is *the* authentic recipe:
Combine in food processor:
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 1 Italian frying pepper, seeded and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 sweet chile peppers (Ají Dulce), seeded, chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Still, I've seen many varieties of sofrito with tomatoes added.
There seems to be some confusion about the proper name for the leaf. I've also heard
culantro or
recao. Indeed, I've seen
recao in the diminutive form,
recaito on the label of what looked to me like frozen green sofrito.
As I say,
sofrito is an important
ingredient in Puerto Rican
beans, but it can be added to stews of all kinds like
cabrito ( =
goat),
mondongo ( =
tripe) and
gandinga ( =
pork liver and other pig innards).