Soffritto with sautéed shallots and herbs

A soffritto adds taste to meat, fish and vegetable dishes. It is an essential basic recipe of Italian cuisine, and a tradition that has been handed down from generation to generation. It is not difficult to prepare the perfect soffritto, as long as you use only top quality ingredients.

The three main ingredients of any soffritto are: onion, carrot and celery. In this recipe, I have substituted the onion with Shallots of Emilia, a truly excellent product. It has a more delicate flavour compared to the onion but is more aromatic at the same time: this reason alone makes it an excellent ally for any chef.

To prepare a good soffritto with shallots, it is important to follow a few simple rules. Firstly, the vegetables have to be cut to more or less the same size to allow them to cook properly, over a gentle heat. It is advisable not to use an electric chopper, but to use a good kitchen knife or “mezzaluna”.

Another very important tip is to use extra-virgin olive oil rather than fats such as butter or margarine. To prevent the vegetables from drying out too much, a little water should be added, and they should be mixed only using wooden utensils. Finally, never add salt to a soffritto made with shallots: salt is added to the dish prepared with the soffritto.

How to prepare

To prepare a Soffritto with Shallots of Emilia, firstly wash the vegetables, then chop into more or less the same size using a sharp knife.

Pour the oil into a large pan, heat slightly and then add the chopped vegetables. Cook over a gentle heat, adding water as necessary, to prevent the vegetables from drying out.

As in any “antique” recipe, a soffritto made with shallots needs time to cook to perfection: for perfect result, it will take at least thirty minutes.

Recipe by Daniela Tornato, blogger of Smile, Beauty and More