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Mirepoix, Holy Trinity, Sofrito ....

#1
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1/25/07 at 7:31am
  • Joined: December 2006
  • Location: San Francisco Bay Area, California, USA
  • Post Count: 3,416
Hi Gang,

First, a question about mire poix: Is the correct spelling or way of writing it with two words or one, as mirepoix? There are supposed to be "classic" proportions to the ingredients, which I believe are two parts onion, one part celery, and one part carrot or parsnips. Is that correct?

In Cajun cuisine there's the Holy Trinity which I believe is comprised of chopped celery, bell peppers, and onions. Is there a traditional or classic proportion to those ingredients?

Sofrito, as I understand it, is a Caribbean and Latin American sauce of tomatoes, roasted peppers, garlic, onions and herbs. Are there "traditional" percentages used here, and what might they be? What herbs are often used?

It seems that the term Sofrito is also used in Spanish and Italin cooking. What are the standard ingredients in those cuisines, and what are the traditional proportions?

I do understand that proportions may vary depending on the dish being prepared, and that ingredients are not always absolute. However, I'm looking to better understand the usual or traditional base ingredients and proportions so I can get a basic understanding from which to experiment and explore.

Also, are there any other similar bases used in other cuisines, such as in various African, Indian, Japanese, Chinese, or Scandanavian dishes?

Thanks,

Shel
Shel
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#2
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1/25/07 at 7:34am
  • Joined: July 2006
  • Post Count: 82
Buy the book "Culinary artistry" It will tell you alot
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#3
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1/25/07 at 8:02am
  • Joined: March 2002
  • Location: SLC UT
  • Post Count: 4,795
In my limited experience, Mire Poix is the only standardized combination, having a fixed and determined list of ingredients and ratios between them.

The rest all vary linguistically, culturally and regionally. There is no set list of ingredients and ratios for them that would work everywhere the terms are used.

Phil

more than taste fine
me eat it all the time

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#4
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1/25/07 at 3:35pm
  • Joined: September 2006
  • Location: Sacramento, CA
  • Post Count: 424
You do have the correct ratios for traditional mirepox- 2 pts onion, 1 pt carrot, 1 pt. celery.:roll:

Bon Vive' !

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#5
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3/4/07 at 11:07am
  • Joined: December 2006
  • Location: Southwest Louisiana
  • Post Count: 11
The trinity is usually the same proportions as the mirepoix, 2 pt onion 1 pt bell pepper 1 pt celery. However, the proportions are only important in a commercial setting. At home I usually use 1 large onion, 1 bell pepper, and about 2-3 stalks of celery, leaves included. Also use one bulb of garlic. Those vegetables go in just about every dish down here across the board.
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#6
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3/4/07 at 11:56pm
  • Joined: August 2006
  • Location: Rome, Italy
  • Post Count: 1,671

soffritto , anyway

In soffritto, anyway, at least Italian soffritto, anything goes. It just refers to the slow pre-sauteeing of vegetables before cooking the main sauce, soup or whatever it is. I read it once described that in the north, they use butter, in the south, oil, and in tuscany butter and oil (that's how my mother did it, and she was from tuscany). You can do just onions, just garlic, onions and garlic, (some people have said here in rome that you never mix onion and garlic, instead where my mother was from, that's what you always did), celery, hot pepper (best added to the soffritto rather than later, so the oils are released), carrot etc. I've never seen peppers added to soffritto in italy, though i know many americans use them in tomato sauce, and possibly that comes from some region where they use them. Some add herbs here too, like basil, parsley (though i find they change flavor in cooking, and prefer them sprinkled on top).
I know people who turn all the ingredients of a minestrone except the beans into a soffritto - they sautee the leafy vegetables, cabbage, spinach, swiss chard, etc, as well as more flavoring ingredients like onion, etc.
so, i guess in italy, soffritto is descriptive rather than prescriptive - you describe what you do, not what you're supposed to do. No magic proportions, no law in stone (if you saw how they drive here, you'd realize why!)
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