Sweating Aromatics

Sweating is the foundation of nearly every savoury vegan dish. It means cooking onion, garlic, celery and similar aromatics in a little fat over low - medium heat until they're completely soft, translucent and sweet - but never coloured. This slow process extracts flavour from the aromatics into the oil, creating the base on which the whole dish builds.

Step-by-Step: Sweating Aromatics

1. Dice your aromatics (onion, celery, leek, shallot) as finely and uniformly as possible - smaller pieces sweat faster and more evenly.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-low heat - the pan should be big enough to hold all the aromatics in a single layer.
3. Add the aromatics with a good pinch of fine salt. The salt draws out moisture, which helps the vegetables steam in their own juices.
4. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 - 12 minutes until completely soft, sweet-smelling and translucent. The moment you see colour forming, reduce the heat.
5. Add garlic and ginger in the last 1 - 2 minutes - they need less time and burn more easily than onions.

Chef's Tips

• A splash of water if the pan looks dry keeps the aromatics steaming gently rather than frying.
• The softer you cook the aromatics, the sweeter and more rounded the base flavour will be - there's no shortcut.
• Don't crowd the pan; if your aromatics are piled high, they'll steam rather than sweat and develop an unpleasant texture.

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