SOFRITO

Sofrito, I think, means 'so' as sub, the stuff below, under or behind the 'frito', the frying or cooking of the meat or stew or rice or whatever salty dish you want to add it to. Basically, it is a caramellization of some basic ingredients to add a tasty flavor and texture to any dish, and is the basis for pretty much everything in two thirds of Spanish cuisine. For most people here it should always have tomato; I digress, to me it depends o' the dish and, mainly, on your intentions.

Put some  oil in a (frying) pan  - never more than 0'5 cm deep except if you're gonna fry potatoes  afterwards or quite some meat (nicer if it's olive oil, but sunflower or butter will do, never tried with palm oil).

My measures vary depending on how hungry I am, the size of the meal or the intensity of sofrito flavor I wanna add to it, but it's usually 1 clove of garlic and a small-to-midsize onion per person; I may use 4 garlic clovers and 2 onions for 2 people, even 4 onions, it depends on the day and the size of the meal to cook; I use normal onions and sometimes red, sweet, small or  whatever, just bear in mind the average should be a mid-size onion per person.

Chop the garlic into small bits and pour it in the pan when the oil is hot (never too hot, don't let it smoke; in my induction cooker I set it at 4; the top is 9). I chip it to tiny bits for meat or eggs, bigger for verdure and fish; If you want it with a brown colour don't stir it, but do otherwise.

Chop the onion at taste, I recommend not so small bits, like half an inch each but that's all at taste. All TV cooks want the onion in cubes, that's not for this; damn, I'm nearly always in a hurry and irregularity in chopped onion saves me time, and every day you get a different sofrito landscape.

When you deem the garlic has got the look you want, add the onion.  Bear in mind that with meat, sausages or drier veggies such as potatoes or carrots will let the garlic go browner, while most other veggies or fish will add more water to the cooking, slowing down the frying of the garlic . Stir the cooking more often before and after completing the sofrito to avoid the garlic getting too brown. I love to add the onion when half of the bits are a lil' bit 'doraditos' (like golden), not raw-looking, not yet to turn brown.


Add the onion, then, and pour some salt on it, just a small pinch for an average onion. Stir it with garlic and soak it in the oil. The salt will make the onion 'sudar', literally, 'sweat', pour out the water inside out, what will make the garlic, and whatever you add afterwards, fry a bit more mildly and slowly. The more onion the more you 'relativize' the frying.

Leave it longer before you add the meat, fish, veggies, whatever, if you want it more caramel-like, and pump up the fire if you really want it caramellized, (if the oil has to burn a lil' smoke for the steaks to get well done golden-tasty I'd rather leave that for the end of the frying, but be careful as too long a time when so-frying or too small a quantity of basic ingredients for a long/strong frying will consume the onion out and turn the garlic black, which for some people is just delicious too.

This is is my basic version of sofrito I use for everything I cook in a pan or frying pan or even a grill pan sometimes.  

Then, there are variations: for veggies like peas, green beans, cauliflowers, broccoli or artichokes, aubergines or any veggie mix (even if I add some cream later on or grill it in the oven) I add sliced bacon or serrano ham (30-50 grams per person) before adding the onion so it gets a bit really fried, and sometimes sprlnkle some bits o' cheese along the sofrito to liven up the veggies, and add sliced potato and carrot after the onion; get them softened a bit and later add the peas, etc.

Sometimes here I add some herbs or  1 stock cube or 2 with the veggies and some more olive oil if I'm cooking lots of them and I want them strong flavoured. I leave them boilng covered stirring from time to time till it's reached the point I feel it's tasty and then add 1 sliced boiled egg per person if I'm really hungry!

For stews like white or red beans or the lot it's common to add 1 green pepper to the sofrito, and 1 or 2 tomatoes for rice, mainly for Paella; here I encourage experimenting with combinations and using your imagination, you could really use anything flavoury you want to get a caramelized dressing for your dishes.

You just have to stir from time to time to get all the rice, meat, fish all soaked. I even use it in a smaller quantity for fried eggs, and with sausages I add some beer, though sometimes only once the sausages are somehow fried. Some people add red or white wine, xerry or vinegar to the sofrito too. Depending on the recipe, of course!

P.S.: I haven't tried the sweet versión of sofrito, if there is any, but be sure I will and let you know.