Tag: herbs and spices
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Pickled Gherkin Powder
Gherkin powder is great for giving a tangy, vinegar flavour to meat, vegetables, drinks and sauces. You can use it to transform egg mayonnaise into the perfect tartare sauce for example. Simply Drain a jar of sliced pickles and then dehydrate them until fully dry. Then you just need to give them a few pulses…
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How do I use Saffron?
Saffron is a spice that adds a rich crimson yellow colour and grassy flavours to many dishes. The red threads of the saffron crocus flower (see below) are collected and dried. Real saffron is considered expensive but ‘worth it’s weight in gold’. If you are simply chasing its colouring effect, there are cheaper alternatives such…
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How Do I Use Za’atar?
Popular in Middle Eastern and eastern Mediterranean regions this spice blend adds a fragrant earthy flavour to your dishes. Regional variants abound but most blends contain the herbs oragano, savoury, thyme and majoram mixed with spices and seasame seeds. Common spices are cumin, coriander seeds and fennel seeds. I mostly use this spice mixture as…
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Sumac
Sumac is a very small fruit native to several continents, that has an exciting citrus taste. Sumac based dry rubs pair with lamb so well and Australia has lots of lamb. 🙂 Please don’t stop using it there though. It makes a great garnish on salads, hummus dips, tasting plates and is often added to…
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How Do I Use Cloves
Cloves are a must-have in your spice collection. They are the dried buds of a tree that originally only grew on a few islands in eastern Indonesia. Cloves are very aromatic and impart a slightly sweet but tangy earthy flavour. Note though that a few go a long way. Cloves have been traded up to…
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Cinnamon
Cinnamon is one of my favourite spices. It is the dried bark of the cinnamon tree and is amazingly aromatic and imparts a warm, spicy and earthy flavour. Long strips of the tree’s bark are sliced off and allowed to dry. These cinnamon ‘quills’ or sticks are then cut to size and sold as is…
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Paprika Chilli Powder
Ground paprika is made from several types of mild, sweet chilli peppers. It is a very versatile ingredient that adds an earthy flavour and a deep red colouring to any dish. Different chilli cultivars make for sweeter or spicier paprika blends, You can also buy blends with a smokey flavour. I use paprika in everything…
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Kashmiri Chilli Powder
Kashmiri Chillies add a warm, earthy flavour and a deep red colouring to any dish. Known for their mild spiceyness they are a versatile ingredient like their cousin paprika. Enjoy, PK Check out some of the dishes I use them in and some more herbs and spices:
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How To Make Chinese 5 Spice Mix
Chinese 5 spice is a must-have blend of sweet, sour and umami flavours. It imparts a red colouring when used as a dry rub, marinade and basting sauce. The perfect example of this is a roast duck or chicken basted with the 5 spice mix, soy and caramel cooking sauce. I couldn’t find it in…
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Harissa Spice Blend
Harissa is a spice blend of Moroccan origin. Generally, it features cumin, chilli, salt, ground coriander seeds, garlic, paprika and caraway seeds. This warm, earthy tasting blend is perfect for rubbing on any meat and making marinades. Here is an example straight from my BBQ. Lamb rack rubbed in harissa and garlic. Enjoy, PK Here…
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