One of the most important concepts on cooking is the mirepoix, the Cajun version “the Trinity”. Or as the Italians refer to it, the battuto which eventually becomes a soffritto once it is cooked. This combination of basic ingredients is the base for almost all French, Italian, Spanish and Creole and Cajun dishes. Below is the mirepoix.

A battuto after cooking and so it transforms into a soffrittto.

Mirepoix: (French)
Carrot
Celery
Onion

Trinity: (Cajun and Creole)
Celery
Onion
Green Pepper

Battuto or Soffritto: (Italian and Spanish)
Onion
Celery
Carrot

If you learn to make these well, you are on track to really improving your cooking and you have the base for almost all dishes. 

Here are a few tips to prepare them properly:

Try and chop the ingredients into equal size pieces. Think the size of a small pea as the maximum size. No one wants to bite into a big chunk of vegetable in the mirepoix, it’s all about the blending of the flavors. 

Remember to choose your fat/oil based upon the final taste you want. Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVO) is not always the best choice as it can impart an herbaceous and green note.

Sauté them slowly to allow them to “sweat” in the pan. You don’t want to brown or burn them. Once you make these a few times, you will notice how the smell changes when they are done. 

Remember, cooking is all about layering the flavors and allowing them to come into their own.