There really is no translation for this mixture of onion, garlic, peppers and green herbs, but it’s a foundation of much of Puerto Rican cooking.
Ingredients
1 medium Spanish onion, cut into big chunks
8 cloves garlic, peeled
6 ajicitos dulces (see recipe for Sofrito) or 1 cubanelle peppers, cored, seeded, and cut into chunks
4 leaves culantro (if you can’t find culantro, increase the amount of ajicitos or cilantro by half)
6 big sprig cilantro, stems and all, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup packed)
Method
1. Place the onion and garlic in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. With the motor running, add the remaining ingredients, one at a time and process, until the mixture is smooth.
2. Set aside the amount you need for the recipe you’re preparing. Pack the remaining recaito in ½-cup portions in sealable plastic bags and store in freezer.
Yield: 1 ½ cups