Recaito

By pattie_d

There really is no translation for this mixture of onion, garlic, peppers and green herbs. Recao is culantro (see below) in Puerto Rican-speak, so this seasoning is nicknamed recaito, or "little culantro." I use recaito for dishes like Cuban black beans or Puerto Rican Style Pot Roast, where you don't want the color or extra liquid that you have in a sofrito. Culantro is the defining flavor.

Recaito, like sofrito, can get you out of any kitchen emergency. It pays to make extra (which this recipe does) and portion it out for the freezer.

Ingredients

• 1 medium Spanish onion, cut into big chunks
• 8 cloves garlic, peeled
• 6 ajicitos dulces (see recipe for Sofrito) or 1 cubanelle peppers, cored, seeded, and cut into chunks
• 4 leaves culantro (if you can't find culantro, increase the amount of Iajicitos or cilantro by half)
• 6 big sprig cilantro, stems and all, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup packed)

Details

Servings 2

Preparation

Step 1

Place the onion and garlic in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. With the motor running, add the remaining ingredients, one at a time and process, until the mixture is smooth. Set aside the amount you need for the recipe you're preparing. Pack the remaining recaito in ½-cup portions in sealable plastic bags and store in freezer.