Odori, battuto, soffritto – the foundations of Italian cooking

Let’s start with the first one, odori, which literally means 'smells'. When you go to the market and buy your fruit and vegetables, this will be the last question you’ll receive from the vendor: ‘do you want some odori?’ If you nod, they’ll tuck a carrot, a stalk of celery, a bunch of parsley, maybe some basil if it's in season and an onion into your shopping bag. They won’t charge you a penny.

These vegetables are grouped together under the name odori as they give any typical recipe a fragrant smell. They can vary from region to region, from family to family, but they will all be known under the same general name. Consider a slow-cooked, traditional, comforting beef broth. You take a large pot, fill it up with water and add your chosen cut of meat along with some odori: a carrot and a celery for good measure, then an onion, a tiny ripe tomato, a few leaves of parsley and basil; sometimes a clove, too. The odori is what gives it that special, inviting aroma.

Let’s move on to the second word which shows an understanding of the basic principles of Italian cooking, battuto; a mix of minced vegetables and the Italian equivalent of the French mirepoix.

Many recipes start by asking you to prepare a battuto, often specifying the vegetables and herbs to use. The simplest battuto will require just the aforementioned odori: a carrot, a celery, an onion and a bunch of basil or parsley. Wash and chop them roughly, then mince on a wooden cutting board with a knife or, traditionally, a mezzaluna (a semicircular blade with a handle at each end). Many grandmothers have carved a bowl shape into their boards by using their mezzaluna day after day.

Nowadays, if you want to speed up the process, you would use a food processor to make a fine battuto. Add the hard vegetables – carrot and celery – first and leave the onion until last, otherwise you’ll be left with a watery paste. It’s a good idea to make a large batch of battuto and scoop it into small jars; it will freeze perfectly and you’ll have your secret Italian fix in the freezer when you need to make a soup. You can also take your battuto to the next level by adding cubed ham, lardo or guanciale, pounded together to make a paste.