sofrito & adobo

This is a dish very easy to relate to . Each country and household has their own version of it . Its the base of puertorrican cooking . You will notice it will be used in about 90% of the recipes on this website, because its my way to fuse puertorrican cooking with the global one, not to mention it adds so much depth of flavor .

This is my family's version with the secret ingredient that I haven't seen used in other sofrito recipes, but what makes a HUGE difference in flavor. It took years of watching grandma to come close to her version, but still to this day it never tastes the same as hers. Every time i asked for the recipe she mysteriously got amnesia and forgot the recipe ....lol, because to this day(she's 90) she wants to be the one to make it for me .

Here's my humble version and I hope you can enjoy it :)

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

2 LBS. ONION

2 LBS. CUBANELLE PEPPERS

1 LB. AJIES (SWEET PEPPERS)

1 LB. PEELED GARLIC

1 BUNCH CILANTRO

1 BUNCH RECAO OR CULANTRO

1 BUNCH OREGANO BRUJO

1 1/4 CUP GRAPE SEED OIL

1/4 CUP ANNATTO SEEDS

1 CUP VINEGAR

32 ONZ.

AS ALWAYS SOME LOVE :)

1. PEEL AND CHOP ALL INGREDIENTS. IT DOESNT HAVE TO BE A FINE CHOP, BECAUSE YOU WIL PUT IN THE FOOD PROCESSOR OR BLENDER .

2. START BY ADDING THE GARLIC FIRST WITH 1/4 CUP OF THE OIL . UNTIL IT BECOMES A FINE PUREE.

3.EMPTY HALF OF THE GARLIC PUREE IN A BOWL. THE REMAINING PUREE WILL HELP WHEN YOU START ADDING THE OTHER INGREDIENTS. THIS WAY YOU WON'T HAVE TO ADD ADDITIONAL LIQUID. MIX A BIT OF ALL THE INGREDIENTS AND PUREE IN BATCHES UNTIL YOU FINISH ALL THE INGREDIENTS. ALWAYS LEAVE A LITTLE PUREE IN THE BLENDER BEFORE ADDING ANOTHER BATCH .

4. ONCE EVERYTHING IS PUREED, DIVIDE IN TWO BOWLS. ONE WITH 1/4 OF THE MIXTURE AND THE OTHER WITH 3/4 .

5. TO THE 3/4 OF THE MIXTURE ADD THE MARINARA SAUCE, THE BRAND AND QUALITY ARE UP TO YOU . MIX AND COMBINE WELL.

6. ADD THE ANNATO OIL . (ANNATTO OIL RECIPE: IN A SAUCE PAN HEAT THE REMAINING CUP OF OIL WITH THE ANNATTO SEEDS FOR 5-10 MIN. AT MED-LOW HEAT). THEN LET COOL BEFORE ADDING TO THE MIX.

7. MIX WELL UNTIL IT'S INCORPORATED.

8. NOW FOR THE ADOBO, ADD THE VINEGAR TO THE 1/4 OF THE MIXTURE RESERVED AND MIX WELL. USE IT FOR MARINATING ANY MEAT , POULTRY OR FISH. IF YOU MAKE THIS YOUR LOVED ONES OR ANYONE YOURE COOKING FOR WILL THANK YOU ;)

OREGANO BRUJO - ALSO KNOWN AS SPANISH THYME OR MEXICAN MINT

RECAO OR CULANTRO - ALSO KNOWN AS ERYNGIUM FOETIDUM