Sofrito
Before I embark on my exploration of the international culinary treasures in Queens (Truly, an exploration that is already well underway.), I think it best to write on that which is closest to me. I grew up in the Bronx. My father is from Arecibo, Puerto Rico, and Mom grew up in "El Barrio" (Spanish Harlem). My Dad enjoyed typical Puerto Rican cuisine. My Mom was, shall we say, much more open to new things. My Dad not only enjoys a good meal, but relishes preparing it. His father was a baker and his mother ran her own restaurant in the states, so I guess he had lots of exposure to the kitchen. I guess my relish for food and cooking came from him, and my eclectic tastes from Mom.
The one thing that sets Puerto Rican food apart from other Caribbean fare is the beans. Rice and beans is pretty standard fare in much of the Caribbean region. There are a number of variations on the theme, and the Puerto Rican special ingredient is sofrito. Sofrito is a combination of herbs that add considerable flavor to the beans. The ingredients are as follows:
A bunch of Cilantro
A small onion
About three cloves of garlic
1 cup of ajises dulces (Sweet Scotch Bonnet Peppers--not the hot variety, which are marketed under the name "Jamaican peppers.")
Pick the leaves off the cilantro (a bit tedious, but not so bad.) and wash them. Put them into a blender. Add the peppers, garlic and onion, a little salt and maybe a 1/4 cup of water--to assist blending (weightier things on top help push these light things down to the blending blades). Blend it until it is pureed. Voila! You are done! A neat way of storing sofrito is to freeze it in an ice cube tray. My wife found one with a cover that prevents freezer burn.
Finding the ajises dulces may not always be easy depending on your location. In Queens it's not hard to find, and I've grown my own as well. If this is a problem, then substitute the pepper of your choice. Mingle proportions to your taste. I will always outline the most authentic recipe I can, regardless of the difficulty in obtaining ingredients, so you know the right way from the beginning. Nevertheless, the rule of this blog is that rules exist to be broken. They are only a set of guidelines that serve to inform us. NEXT: a general beans recipe.
The one thing that sets Puerto Rican food apart from other Caribbean fare is the beans. Rice and beans is pretty standard fare in much of the Caribbean region. There are a number of variations on the theme, and the Puerto Rican special ingredient is sofrito. Sofrito is a combination of herbs that add considerable flavor to the beans. The ingredients are as follows:
A bunch of Cilantro
A small onion
About three cloves of garlic
1 cup of ajises dulces (Sweet Scotch Bonnet Peppers--not the hot variety, which are marketed under the name "Jamaican peppers.")
Pick the leaves off the cilantro (a bit tedious, but not so bad.) and wash them. Put them into a blender. Add the peppers, garlic and onion, a little salt and maybe a 1/4 cup of water--to assist blending (weightier things on top help push these light things down to the blending blades). Blend it until it is pureed. Voila! You are done! A neat way of storing sofrito is to freeze it in an ice cube tray. My wife found one with a cover that prevents freezer burn.
Finding the ajises dulces may not always be easy depending on your location. In Queens it's not hard to find, and I've grown my own as well. If this is a problem, then substitute the pepper of your choice. Mingle proportions to your taste. I will always outline the most authentic recipe I can, regardless of the difficulty in obtaining ingredients, so you know the right way from the beginning. Nevertheless, the rule of this blog is that rules exist to be broken. They are only a set of guidelines that serve to inform us. NEXT: a general beans recipe.
posted by justaperson @ 5:54 AM
2 Comments:
I enjoyed your comments on Sofrito - i would like to make this recipe because the rice and beans I make at home fall rather flat. It needs something else and I think the sofrito would be it. Where can I find a similar pepper in NJ?
Mitsa - NJ
Any pepper you like will suffice, but the ajises dulces can be found anywhere there is a large Spanish-speaking or Caribbean population in the Northeast. This is what they look like: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fruttadi/2632801170/. Western Beef often carries them.
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