Mediterranean: Sofregit - Catalan homemade tomato sauce

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Mediterranean: Sofregit - Catalan homemade tomato sauce

 

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium-sized onions, (7 ounces or 200 g) finely chopped

5 medium size ripe tomatoes, (1 pound or 450 g) peeled and chopped

1 teaspoon sugar, optional

 

 

 

Heat olive oil in an earthenware casserole or dutch oven. When the oil is hot,

make sure the heat is low, add the chopped onions and stir. Cook for 10 to 15

minutes or until the onion caramelizes. Stir often with a wooden spoon.

 

First the onions become transparent, then they turn golden, and finally they

begin to caramelize.

 

Add the tomato, stir briefly and cover.

 

At this point you can add the optional half teaspoon of sugar, if you find your

tomatoes are too acidic. Seasonal local natural tomatoes generally don't need

sugar, but that's up to the home cook to decide.

 

Cook covered for 15 to 30 minutes stirring occasionally.

 

Yields 1½ to 2 cups

Preparation time: 10 to 15 minutes.

Cooking time: 30 to 45 minutes.

 

Source: Nuria Roig

Formatted by Chupa Babi: 03.15.08

 

AuthorNotes: Sofregit is a basic sauce of the Mediterranean Catalan cuisine..

The secret of this fresh tomato sauce recipe is a perfectly caramelized onion,

generally followed by a patient caramelizing of the tomato.

 

Sofregit, pronounced soo-frah-GEET, is one of the five fundamental sauces of

Catalan cuisine together with allioli, samfaina, picada and romesco. A myriad

stews and other Catalan Mediterranean diet recipes consistently begin with one

or other version of sofregit.

 

Catalan cuisine without a sofregit is unthinkable. At the same time, it has the

potential to be used in other culinary contexts as it is very useful and

versatile. It provides a savory base for {favorite} and vegetable stew recipes.

 

Sofregit is derived from the verb sofregir: to fry lightly. In this case it

means that you fry it slowly over low heat.

 

So, regarding the cooking time, it can take as long as an hour or even much

longer. Or you can make a quick sofregit in only fifteen minutes that nicely

flavors a stew or a pasta dish.

 

In the recipe below we chose the middle way: 30 to 45 minutes. 15 minutes

cooking makes it usable; with 30 minutes cooking you have a good sofregit; 45

minutes, and it's already gourmet-like.

 

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