Ras El Hanout – Moroccan Spice Blend
An excellent & versatile spice blend you can use on a variety of roasted meats & poultry, vegetables, in soups & stews and even on salads. Ras El Hanout, which means “top of the shop”, is a traditional spice mixture from Morocco & can contain anywhere from 10 to 100 spices. This is my version, adapted from researching over 50 different Ras El Hanout recipes in various cookbooks & online. When you make this, just the aroma alone is going to make your mouth water!
Yield: about 4 ounces
Ingredients
2 tsp ground cardamom
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground mace
1 1/2 tsp coarse ground black pepper
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground cinnamon (see Tip# 1)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground Hungarian hot paprika
1 tsp fresh ground nutmeg (see Tip# 2)
1 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp ground anise seeds
1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground cloves
Directions
1. Add all the spices to a bowl.
2. Stir with a whisk till very well combined.
3. Transfer to a small glass jar with a tight fitting lid (like a canning jar) & store in a cool, dry, dark place for up to 3 months or in your freezer for longer storage.
Tips & Suggestions
1. Be sure to use good quality spices, organic if possible & within your budget. It’s especially important for the cinnamon & a number of the other ground spices, as many of the brands found in supermarkets contain various types of fillers.
2. In any recipe that calls for nutmeg, I always suggest using fresh grated nutmeg & not the store bought variety. The aroma & taste of fresh grated nutmeg is beyond compare!
