I
love the smell of the gently toasted spices and the way they fill the kitchen
with the most amazing aroma. The sheer variety of flavours that they have to
offer and can bring to a dish is endless, but seasoning with herbs and spices means
complimenting your dishes, not overwhelming and hiding the true flavour of the
food.
Mediterranean cooks have
been blending spices for centuries and they were among the first of many foods
brought back to Europe from the east by Marco polo. Spices encouraged the early
voyages of Columbus and Vasco
Da Gama, who succeeded in rounding the Cape of
Good Hope and crossing the Indian Ocean to calicot on the coast of India.
Today, its hard to believe when spices cost so little and we can all enjoy
freshly ground black pepper and the delicious aromas of cinnamon, ginger,
cardamom and cloves that these fragrant bits of bark, leaves and seeds were
once so costly, so hard to track down and transport, that men were willing to
risk their lives crossing oceans and waging war in an attempt to bring them
back and build empires with the profits from the resulting spice trade.
Throughout the Mediterranean
region most countries have traditional spice mixes that define their cuisine.
One of my favourites is 'Baharat', a
North African spice mix used in Lebanon, Syria, Israel, and Jordan.
Baharat
simply means “spice” in Arabic. This blend is often used to season lamb but is
an all-purpose flavour enhancer useful for fish, chicken, beef, tomato sauces
and soups. Another fantastic spice mixture is Tabil from Tunisia. This is a mixture of caraway seeds, coriander,
garlic & dried red chilies that makes it the perfect seasoning for
barbequed steaks and grilled fish.
I simply love Ras el hanout (you probably know by
now). This literally means “head of the shop” and is extremely popular
throughout the rest of morocco whilst La
Kama is the favourite spice blend of Tangier. It allegedly promotes a sense
of well-being and enhances sexual vigour…so well worth giving it a try!
za’tar is
another incredibly versatile middle eastern spice blend and a fantastic
ingredient to have kicking around your kitchen. It is made by grinding hyssop
leaves to a coarse, aromatic, brownish green powder then mixing the powder with
olive oil, toasted sesame seeds and sumac. If you can't get hyssop, substitute
with thyme or oregano. I find za'atar a
welcome counterpoint to the sweetness of deeply roasted pumpkin and its ideal
sprinkled generously over omelets and other egg dishes.
Despite its name, the French
spice mixture, quatre épices, may
contain four or five (or even more!) spices. Although normally it is a mixture
of white peppercorns, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Allspice or cinnamon may also
be included. I find the combination to be reminiscent of gingerbread spices,
but with a tingly kick from the pepper, making it perfect for savory dishes and
quite interesting in some desserts.
Strangely enough, the
Spanish are not great lovers of spices and spice mixes are very rare in
regional Spanish kitchens. They do however have one great dish called “pincho moruño”. This incredible dish is
basically a kebab-like stick made of meat. You could use chicken,
lamb or pork and since it’s barbeque season right now, this is the perfect time
to prepare it. It originates from Andalusia but judging by the name it is a
Moorish invention dating back centuries…and its delicious!
Pincho
Moruño
Ingredients serves 4
400g boneless lamb shoulder,
cut into 1-inch cubes
Moruño spice mixture
2
teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme
1
teaspoon salt
1
teaspoon ground cumin
1
teaspoon hot pimenton or paprika
½
teaspoon black peppercorns
¼ teaspoon saffron
threads
200ml olive oil
1 bay leaf
2
tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
In
a mortar and pestle or food processor, combine the thyme, salt, cumin,
pimenton, peppercorns, and saffron. Grind until combined and add the olive oil.
Pour
the spice mixture over the diced lamb; add the chopped parsley & bay leaf.
Cover and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
Thread the lamb cubes onto 8
long skewers and grill the “pinchos” for 6-8 minutes, turning 3 or times, until
they are cooked.
SWEET
SPICED APPLE GALETTE
Serves 2
Ready-made puff pastry
3 firm tart apples (Granny
Smiths for example)
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp quartre epices
2 tsp softened unsalted
butter
Icing sugar
Roll out the pastry and cut
out 2 rounds 15cm in diameter.
Combine well the sugar, quatre epices and butter. Spread evenly and
thinly over the pastry rounds.
Place on a non-stick baking tray and refrigerate until well chilled.
Working quickly so that the
apples don’t go brown; peel, halve and core the apples. Cut into very thin segments and fan
very neatly around the pastry, finishing in the middle. Sprinkle with plenty of icing sugar and
bake in a preheated oven (200°C) for 10-15 minutes until golden and
caramelized.
Serve immediately with crème
fraiche, mascarpone or home-made vanilla bean ice-cream.
Roast
Baharat Chicken
Ingredients serves
4
6 large chicken thighs,
boneless and skinless
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 heaped tbsp baharat spice
mix
Juice ½ lemon
Cut each thigh into strips
and place in a bowl. Sprinkle with the garlic and the baharat spices. Mix well
and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least one hour. Using two metal skewers
about 5cm (2in) apart, thread a quarter of the meat onto the skewers. Repeat,
making 4 pairs of skewers in total. Make sure that the chicken is packed quite
tightly.
Heat the oven to 220°C (gas
mark 9). Sear the skewers in a hot frying pan, then transfer to the oven. Roast
until golden and cooked (about 15 minutes).
Rest for 5 minutes and
squeeze over lemon juice. Serve with natural yoghurt and salad leaves.
Baharat
Spice Mix
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon freshly ground
black pepper
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Crush in a pestle &
mortar or a food processor to form a fine powder.
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