Puerto Rican Recaito

Prep 20 min Total 8 hr 20 min

Puerto Rican Recaito - kvalifood.com

Puerto Rican recaito is a raw green cooking paste made from culantro, aji dulces, green peppers, and olive oil. Blend it to the consistency of thick pesto and freeze in ice cube trays – use 1-2 cubes per dish. Keeps frozen up to 1 year.

Use it as the aromatic base for arroz con gandules, habichuelas guisadas, sofrito, pernil, and most Puerto Rican soups and stews.

Makes ca. 3 cups (24 portions)

Ingredients

  • 2 large green bell peppers (ca. 400 g), roughly chopped
  • 225 g aji dulces (sweet chili peppers), stems removed
  • 2 large onions (ca. 300 g), roughly chopped
  • 240 ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 115 g roasted red peppers (jarred)
  • 75 g pimiento-stuffed olives
  • 2 bunches fresh culantro (ca. 60 g), or 2 large bunches cilantro
  • 2 small heads garlic (ca. 20 cloves), peeled
  • 2 tbsp dried oregano, crushed
  • 1 tbsp capers
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper

Directions

Roughly chop all vegetables. Peel garlic.

Blend everything to the consistency of thick pesto. Some texture is fine.

Freeze in ice cube trays (1 tbsp per cube). Use 1-2 cubes per dish.

Notes

  • Culantro and aji dulces are essential.
  • Keeps frozen up to 1 year.

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