Soffritto

Soffritto

Italian flavour base, freeze in cubes, makes ~20 portions

Ingredients

Large batch

onions    1000g
carrots    500g
celery     500g
olive oil   80g
salt        5g

The 2:1:1 ratio of onion to carrot to celery is the Italian standard. Do not deviate much.
This is a base, not a dish. It should taste sweet and deeply savoury, not browned or bitter.
Use the food processor attachment to chop everything. Pulse to small dice — do not blitz to a paste.

Recipe

1. Peel and roughly chop everything, then pulse in the food processor to a small, even dice. Do this in batches. You want pieces about 3-4mm.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pan over the lowest heat you have. Add everything with the salt.

3. Cook for 25-35 minutes, stirring every few minutes. It should soften and turn translucent and sweet smelling. No browning at all. If anything starts to colour, add a splash of water and turn the heat down.

4. Taste. It should be very sweet and savoury with no raw onion flavour left. If it still tastes raw, cook longer.

5. Leave to cool completely. Spoon into ice cube trays and freeze solid. Transfer the cubes to a bag. Label with the date.

To use: drop 2-3 cubes straight into a cold pan with a little oil. Heat gently. You have saved 20-25 minutes of prep.
Use as the base for: ragù, soups, stews, tomato sauce, risotto, shakshuka, or anything that starts with sweating onions.
Keeps 6 months in the freezer.