Most meals begin with a few humble aromatic ingredients to help build depth of flavor. Here are five of the most common flavor bases and some ideas on how to use them.
Mirepoix:
Onion, Celery, Carrots
This is the base of all things French Cooking. It is also the only one of the flavor bases that has a defined ration. 2 parts onion, 1 part celery, 1 part carrots. Typically it is used in recipes that call for a long cooking time to allow the natural sweetness to be extracted from the vegetables.
Perfect option for use in roasts, stews and soups
Holy Trinity:
Onion, Celery, Bell Pepper
The Holy Trinity is best known for its use in Creole and Cajon cooking. It literally is the base for almost all their dishes. Unlike Mirepoix the ration here is equal parts onion, Celery and Bell Pepper. Used in both long and quick cooked meals, this is my favorite combination to use.
Perfect option for any Creole or Cajun inspired dish.
Battuto:
Onion, Celery, Carrot, Parsley, Garlic
This combination is the base for many Italian dishes. Battuto just means “chopped” and is really the name given to the finely chopped raw components. Once it is cooked, it becomes a Soffritto. There is no rule to the amount of each ingredient to use so let your recipe decide how much. Tomato, basil and even pancetta are also commonly used depending on the dish.
Perfect for Italian Sauces and Meatloaf
Sofrito:
Onions, Garlic, Peppers Tomatoes, Olive Oil
This flavor base is used heavily in Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American cooking. Depending on where you are, the ingredients will vary, but the concept is all the same. All the ingredients are chopped super fine and sautéed or braised in a cooking oil. What we show here is the common Spanish version.
Perfect for chicken and rice dishes.
GGS:
Garlic, Ginger, Scallions
I am not sure if GGS is the “official” name, but this is the flavor base for most Asian recipes. While the garlic and ginger are mainly cooked, the scallions are normally added after cooking. Different regions will add other ingredients like soy or fish sauce, but they almost always start with these three.
Perfect for any Asian inspired dishes.
