China Moon Ten - Spice
Submitted by att29
A fragrant homemade Chinese ten-spice blend with toasted star anise, Szechuan peppercorns, fennel, coriander, and cumin. Toast, grind, and store for marinades, stir-fries, sauces, and meat rubs.
YIELD
3 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
5 minREADY
15 minForget those dusty jars of five-spice powder sitting on the store shelf. This ten-spice blend from San Francisco’s legendary China Moon Cafe doubles the complexity and triples the aroma.
Star anise, Szechuan peppercorns, fennel seeds, coriander, cloves, and cumin get toasted in a dry skillet until they fill your kitchen with a warm, intoxicating fragrance. Ground cinnamon, ginger, and turmeric join the mix after toasting, and the whole batch gets buzzed into a fine powder.
Keep a jar of this on hand and suddenly everything gets more interesting: marinades, mayonnaises, stir-fried vegetables, even a simple pasta.
Kitchen Tips
- Toast over low heat and stir constantly. Szechuan peppercorns and fennel seeds burn fast, and burned spices taste acrid.
- A clean coffee grinder works just as well as a dedicated spice grinder. Wipe it out with a dry paper towel between uses.
- Store in a tightly sealed glass jar away from heat and light. The blend stays potent for about 3 months.
- Start with a half teaspoon per dish and work up. This blend is concentrated and a little goes a long way.
Ingredients
Directions
Toast the whole spices together in a small dry skillet over low heat, stirring and adjusting the heat so that the spices toast without burning.
Stir until the spices are fully fragrant and the fennel seeds and lighter colored spices are lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the ground spices.
Using a spice grinder or a clean coffee grinder, grind the mixture finely.
Store in a tightly covered jar.
Serving suggestions: Use in marinades and sauces, mayonnaises, chopped meat mixtures, sautéed vegetables and pastas.
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