Corfu sofrito is a dish of thinly sliced beef. Each slice is dredged in flour and browned in olive oil. The meat is then returned to the pan with a generous amount of garlic, chopped parsley, black pepper and white wine or wine vinegar, and it cooks slowly until tender and the sauce thickens.
The result is a light, tomato-free sauce, tangy and scented with garlic. This lack of tomato is what sets it apart from other Greek meat stews.
The name comes from Italian, but the dish is not the soffritto of Italian cuisine, which is a base of sautéed vegetables. Corfu associates sofrito with Venetian influence, which shaped the island’s cooking during the centuries it was ruled by Venice. The community of Pelekas in Corfu lists it among the island’s best-known dishes.
In Corfu, sofrito is a lunchtime dish, made at home and in tavernas, and served with potatoes, rice or pasta.