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culantro

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Simple Sofrito Recipe.

2 Comments on Simple Sofrito Recipe.

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As we have Caribbean Green Seasoning as the base of many dishes in most of the Southern Caribbean, in the Spanish speaking Caribbean you’ll find Sofrito. An aromatic blend of herbs, garlic and seasoning peppers. A few years back while in old San Juan (Puerto Rico) I had a delightful rice dish at a small roadside vendor and she told me that the secret was all in the sofrito she started with. You will definitely find variations in the way sofrito is made as you make your way through Cuba, Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic, as everyone tend to have their own specific recipe. This recipe I’m about to share is as basic as sofrito comes and a great starting point.

You’ll Need…

2 Cubanelle peppers (or bell peppers)
1 large onion
12-16 cloves garlic
1 cup chopped cilantro (coriander)
1/2 cup chopped culantro (recao | shado beni | Chadon Beni)
1/4 cup olive oil

Important – Typically a sort of seasoning pepper along with bell peppers are used in making traditional sofrito. Since I could not source the seasoning peppers I opted for the Cubanelle peppers as they do have a wonderful flavor about them and would give me the same texture of the bell peppers.

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Give everything a rough chop and place in a food processor. You may find that some people use a blender and go with the puree setting. That is a personal choice. I much prefer my finished sofrito to have some texture to it, so I use a food processor and go a sort of pulse action. The olive oil is to help everything come together.

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You will find that as you pulse it, it will tend to clump to the sides. Stop the machine and push down with a wooden spoon and pulse until everything comes together to a sort of coarse consistency. However, you can add a bit more olive oil and puree if you wish.

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I usually store the finished sofrito in a jar in the fridge, but depending on how often you plan on using it you can freeze it in ice tray, then remove and place the frozen blocks in a freezer bag. Then when it’s time to use, simply take out as many blocks as you need and thaw/cook.

Here’s an amazing chicken dish I did using this sofrito as a marinade, Click To Watch:  Sofrito Pan Roasted Chicken Recipe. Hopefully I’ll have time in the coming weeks to upload the written version, so you can print it off, should you wish to do so.

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Shado Beni explained.

31 Comments on Shado Beni explained.

caribbean-hot-sauceShadow beni is a leafy herb native to the West Indies and Central America. It is widely used in the cuisine of these regions, and it also appears in Asian foods. This herb can sometimes be difficult to obtain outside these regions; sometimes specialty stores will stock it frozen or in cans. If shadow beni is not available, cilantro can be used as a replacement.

This herb has a multitude of alternate names, which adds to the confusion for many cooks. Formally, shadow beni is known as Eryngium foetidum, but it is also known by bhandhanya, fitweed, long coriander, false cilantro, culantro, recao, shado beni, sawtooth, spiritweed, ngo gai, ketumbar java, Mexican coriander, donnia, and spiritweed, among many other names. This profusion of alternate titles is especially frustrating for cooks who try to work with ethnic recipes, as many people are unaware of alternate names for the herb.

As the name “culantro” suggests, shadow beni tastes very much like cilantro, with a somewhat stronger and more lingering flavor. This flavor is often utilized in marinades and sauces, and the herb is also used as a garnish and to dress various foods. The distinctive pungency is especially popular in Trinidad, where shadow beni is used in traditional salsas and dressings, along with hot sauces.

As is the case with cilantro, shadow beni is not to everyone’s taste. The flavor tastes strange to some people, while others find it very enjoyable. As the scientific name indicates, shadow beni can taste almost fetid at times, especially when paired with poor choices of seasoning and spices. However, the flavor is also quite unique, and some foods simply wouldn’t taste the same without shadow beni or cilantro, as people who have attempted to omit these herbs have noticed.

In the Caribbean and Southeast Asia, shadow benny is often readily available at produce markets, because it is a commonly used ingredient. Outside of these areas, the herb can be challenging to find, as it is a bit obscure. In regions with an ethnic community, shadow benny can sometimes be obtained at regional grocers, or especially larger markets which cater to the minority community. People can also grow shadow benny at home from seeds or starts; its growth habit is much like that of cilantro, so care is advised in especially warm climates, where the herb may bolt to seed.
Side Note: Seems shado beni isalso spelled as “shadow Benny”,  “Shado Benny” and “Shado Benni”