Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Sofrito and Sofrito Rice

This is a recipe I can't live without.  I serve this rice with quesadillas, pork carnitas, tacos, etc.  It is so fresh and wonderful!  I love cilantro so I adapted the recipe to include more but you could mix it up with red or jalepeno pepper, red onion, lime zest, etc.  This is "real" homemade spanish-style rice.  It is so easy and very delicious!  Are you surprised by that comment??

Sofrito and Sofrito Rice
adapted from Sara Moulton Cooks at Home

1 small onion, coarsely chopped
4 garlic cloves
1 medium to large tomato, coarsely chopped
½ to 1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
2 cups long-grain rice
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine onion, garlic cloves, tomato, and cilantro in a blender or food processor. Add 1 to 2 Tablespoons cold water and process or blend until smooth. You should have 1 to 1 ½ cups sofrito. The Sofrito Rice recipe only needs ¼ cup sofrito. The remaining sofrito can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and frozen for up to a month. Freeze in ¼ cup portions.

Heat the oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in ¼ cup of sofrito and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in the salt and a little pepper. Pour in 4 cups of water, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Stir in the rice and bring back to a boil. Boil, uncovered, until the water has been absorbed and holes appear on the surface, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to simmer and cover saucepan. Cook until fluffy and tender about 10 minutes more. Fluff the rice with a fork, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes. Serve hot.