These Are a Few of My Favorite Things: Ras el Hanout
I posted a recipe for Ras el Hanout a few weeks ago, but I’ve been using it so often in the kitchen lately, I felt it deserved its own post.
Ras el Hanout is a spice blend from the Middle East and North Africa. Spice market vendors all claim their version to be the best, and some people consider the seductive blend of spices to be an aphrodisiac. At the very least, any food in which you include Ras el Hanout will inspire diners to kiss the cook, so you’ve got that goin’ for you.
Basic Ras el Hanout
Ingredients:
2 (level) teaspoons salt
2 (heaping) teaspoons cumin
2 (level) teaspoons ginger
2 (conservative) teaspoons black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/4 (slightly rounded) teaspoon nutmeg
optional: 1 teaspoon saffron threads (I still don’t have saffron.)
Directions:
Blend all spices together in a bowl and store in an air-tight container. For vegetables and meats, add 1-2 teaspoons per pound.
I’ve been following this recipe for weeks (my modifications are in parentheses), mixing into wilted greens, coating pork chops before grilling, and stirring into cauliflower fouscous. Today, I found this link, and I’m curious to try a blend made with more than 30 spices!
I think it would also be fun to truly make it from scratch and start with whole spices. If you’ve never toasted then ground whole spices, you really need to treat yourself and try it. (And while we’re talking about spices, you know I have a massive crush on Penzeys Spices, but I’m feeling a certain flirtatiousness with Zamouri Spices today. I’m thinking a little fling might be in order.)
I’m excited to once again join the punk rock foodies on Fight Back Friday at Food Renegade.
Tags: dino-chow, favorite things, moroccan, paleo
9 Responses to “These Are a Few of My Favorite Things: Ras el Hanout”
Post a comment
Like what you've read? Got something to say? Lay it on me!
YUM…I will definitely be mixing up a batch! I wonder what the saffron would add, as far as flavor…I don't have any in my kitchen at the moment either. I bet this mix would be good on some yam fries. Thanks for the inspiration!
I think you're right: it would be wicked tasty on yam fries! Mmmm… with a dipping sauce made of a little mango chutney mixed with homemade mayo!
I'm trying it this week! I have some Mango Chutney we got on our last trip to Maui…I've been waiting for an excuse to bust it out! I'll let you know how it all goes down…
I made it and I LOVE IT!!!
I made carrot soup and upped the flavor of my sweet potato gratin…so far. Look out Bobby Flay…you may just be my new spice guru! Keep 'em coming!
Get down with your bad selt, Jen! Glad you like the Ras el Hanout. I'm SO tempted to find a traditional recipe with, like, 30 spices and try to make it from total scratch.
Wow, my girlfriend actually had everything on this list just sitting all lonely in her cabinet! We're going to enjoy it on Kale today!
Awesome! Hope you like it! It's definitely become one of my favorites for adding zip to just about everything.
What sort of salt?
I tend to use a coarse-ground sea salt. Would that work so far as texture is concerned?
Great question! I think you’ll be happier with the result if you use finely-ground sea salt. You want a really uniform mixture, and I suspect the larger salt crystals won’t be as evenly distribute throughout the blend as fine salt would be.
[...] time is make the mixture of Ras el Hanout, a Middle Eastern/North African spice blend. I followed Melissa’s recipe from her amazing blog, and it turns out, I had all the spices on hand anyway! The Ras el Hanout [...]
[...] and flavors. However, she does it just right. Whether it is a dash of an exotic spice mix like Ras El Hanout, or a simple blend of ingredients like pears, bacon and paprika that tickle the tongue with [...]