10 Ways to Use Sofrito
Sofrito is the flavor base behind most Puerto Rican cooking: peppers, ají dulce, onion, garlic, recao and cilantro, cooked down in achiote oil. Once you have a batch of my sofrito in the freezer, a pot of beans or a pan of rice is already halfway done.
I didn't cook at all until my 50s, so I love anything that makes a simple dinner taste like it simmered all afternoon. Here are ten easy ideas, from breakfast to party food. Start with one, and soon you'll reach for sofrito without even thinking.
Stewed beans on a weeknight
This is the classic. Habichuelas guisadas start with 1/3 cup (80 ml) of sofrito warmed in a little oil, then tomato sauce, canned beans and a few cubes of calabaza or potato. Serve them over white rice. Canned beans vary a lot in salt, so taste before you add any.
Arroz con gandules for a crowd
No Puerto Rican party is complete without it. Arroz con gandules uses 1/3 cup (80 ml) of sofrito, and in the Thermomix® TM7™ the sofrito sautés and the rice cooks right in the mixing bowl. My tip: before the rice goes in, taste the liquid. It should be a little saltier than soup, because the rice soaks up the salt.
Sofrito scrambled eggs
For a quick breakfast, warm 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of sofrito with a little butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat for 1 minute. Add 3 beaten eggs and stir gently until they are just set. Keep the heat low, so the eggs stay soft and the sofrito doesn't scorch.
Picadillo for empanadillas and more
Beef picadillo takes 1/2 cup (120 ml) of sofrito for 1 pound (450 g) of ground beef. Serve it over rice, or use it to fill empanadillas, alcapurrias, canoas or a pastelón. Make a double batch and freeze half, packed flat in a freezer bag, for a quick dinner another day.
A cozy chicken stew
Pollo guisado is chicken thighs baked in a sauce of 1/2 cup (120 ml) of sofrito, tomato sauce, olives and potatoes. Once it's in the oven, you can walk away. Thighs stay juicier than breasts in a stew, so they forgive a beginner's mistakes.
Soupy rice for a rainy day
Asopao de pollo sits right between a soup and a rice dish, and a scant 1/2 cup (100 g) of sofrito gives it its flavor. Serve it right away, because the rice keeps drinking the broth as it sits. If leftovers get thick, stir in a splash of hot broth.
Salt cod stew over white rice
Bacalao guisado is salt cod simmered in a light tomato sauce with 1/3 cup (80 ml) of sofrito, potatoes, peppers and olives. After you desalt the cod, taste a small flake. If it's still very salty, desalt it once more in fresh water before cooking.
Leftover rice and beans, made new
Leftover rice and beans become arroz mamposteao: white rice tossed in a skillet with stewed beans, sofrito and crispy bacon. For a quick version, warm 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of sofrito in a skillet, add 1 cup (240 ml) of leftover beans and 3 cups (about 500 g) of cold rice, and toss until everything is steaming hot. Cold rice from the fridge works best, because the grains stay separate.
Quick tomato sauce for spaghetti
Warm 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of sofrito in a saucepan for 2 minutes, add one 8 oz (225 g) can of tomato sauce and a pinch of oregano, and simmer for 10 minutes. Toss it with spaghetti and sliced Vienna sausages for Puerto Rican-style espaguetis con salchichas. Save a little pasta water to loosen the sauce if it gets thick.
Juicier burgers and meatballs
Mix 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of sofrito into 1 pound (450 g) of ground beef with 2 tablespoons (15 g) of breadcrumbs, then shape burgers or small party meatballs. Handle the meat gently, so it stays tender. Cook burgers until they reach 71°C (160°F) in the center.
Pick one idea this week and cook along with me. If I learned to cook in my 50s, you can too.
