You Say Batutto, I Say Sofritto

I

've been spending some time lately thinking about conserve, preserves. Apart from jellies and jams, Italians divide conserve into two categories: sott' olio, preserved in oil, and sott' aceto, preserved in vinegar.

For those of us who pursue this sort of thing, fall is traditionally the time to "put food by," but springtime presents some good opportunities too. Marinated mushrooms, artichoke hearts, and sottoaceti—as I posted yesterday—are all good candidates at this time of year. But after I submitted yesterday's post, I was browsing a couple of Italian web sites, where I found a combination I hadn't previously thought of as a conserva: soffrito.

Soffrito—which begins life with the name battuto—is a combination of carrot, celery, onion, garlic, parsley, and possibly pancetta; very finely chopped, and sautéed in olive oil until soft and slightly browned. At that point, it becomes the basis for a myriad of Italian dishes that are braised, stewed, or simmered.

What I hadn't considered before yesterday, was that it adds nothing to the pan during cooking. That is to say, when the soffrito is ready for the next step in a recipe, there's no benefit derived from deglazing the pan before proceeding. So why not have a supply on hand and begin cooking from that point in a recipe? You'll save at least a half hour in a recipe's overall preparation time.

Some of the best known recipes in Italian cuisine, Ragù alla Bolognese, Osso Buco, and Zuppa di Fagioli, all start with a battuto&mdash>soffrito. And the famous Tuscan tomato sauce, Sugo Finto, is little more than marinara, started with a base of soffrito.

I'm not aware that restaurant chefs here in America use this technique to expedite their cooking, but apparently, it's very popular in Italy. I can tell you this, though: it will become standard operating procedure in this Italian kitchen in southeastern Connecticut.

Note: The recipe that follows, is for one batch of soffrito, sufficient for a recipe (like the ones above) for six. You can double, triple, or quadruple it in 1:1 proportions, but cooking times will vary based on the quantity of the vegetables, and the size of your pot.

Soffrito
Vegetable Base

Ingredients:

2 Cloves garlic, peeled
1 Medium carrot, peeled, and cut into chunks
1 Stalk celery, cut into chunks
1 Medium yellow onion, peeled, and quartered
4 Tbs. Flat-leaf Italian parsley (including stems)
2 oz. Pancetta, roughly chopped (optional)
Olive oil
Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Add the garlic, carrot, celery, onion, parsley, and pancetta (if using) to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse ten times, for approximately one second for each pulse. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and pulse two or three more times if necessary.

Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, then add enough olive oil to cover the pan bottom. Add the vegetable mixture, shaking the pan to distribute the vegetables evenly.

Lower the heat to medium-low, season the vegetables with salt and pepper, and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have thoroughly softened, and have become slightly brown; 10 - 15 minutes. (Possibly longer with larger quantities).

Remove from the heat, and allow the vegetables to cool to room temperature. Place the vegetables in a clean glass or ceramic container with a tight-fitting lid, and add enough olive oil to barely cover the surface. Cover and refrigerate.

The soffrito will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to a month.

Use 1 to 1 1/2 Cups to begin any recipe that calls for soffrito. You will need only to heat it through, before proceeding to the next step in your recipe.