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Seasoning food is an art, not a science. Experimenting with herbs and spices can be fun and educational, and while you may occasionally be eating a less than perfect dish, you may also end up creating that recipe that will become a classic in your household. Follow these tips to bring out the most flavour out of your spices:
- Use a light hand when seasoning with spices and herbs. Your goal is to compliment your dish without crowding out the flavor of the food. Remember, it's usually impossible to "un-spice" a dish!
- For long-cooking dishes, add herbs and spices an hour or less before serving. Cooking spices for too long may result in overly strong flavors.
- Use restraint! In general, ¼ teaspoon of spice is enough for 4 servings.
- Finely crush dried herbs before adding to your dish after measuring.
- Do not use dried herbs in the same quantity as fresh. In most cases, use 1/3 to ¼ the amount in dried as is called for fresh.
- Keep it simple. Unless the recipe specifically calls for it, don't use more than 3 herbs and spices in any one dish. The exception to this rule is Indian cooking, which often calls for 10 or more different spices in one curry dish!
- Black pepper, garlic powder, salt and cayenne pepper are excellent "after cooking" seasonings. Allow guests to season dishes with these spices at the table.
- Although spice blends are readily available, many cookbooks have recipes for curry powder, chili powder, Cajun seasoning and others. Blend just enough for a few weeks and store your blends in a tightly sealed container.
- Onion, garlic and black pepper are almost universal seasonings. Adding these seasonings can enhance almost any dish.
- If you're feeling adventuresome, try replacing herbs and spices called for in recipes with something different! Marjoram instead of oregano, savory instead of thyme, cilantro instead of parsley, anise seed instead of fennel, etc.
Some useful tips for seasoning dishes
- Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice have a special affinity for sweet dishes.
- Ground spices release their flavor more quickly than whole spices. Ground spices such as ground thyme or ground cumin can be used in recipes with short cooking times or can be added near the end of cooking for longer cooking recipes.
- Whole spices need a longer time to release their flavor. They work well in longer cooking recipes like soups and stews.
- Robust herbs such as sage, thyme and bay leaves stand up well in long cooking while milder herbs like basil, marjoram and parsley can be added at the last minute for best results.
- Rub leafy herbs in the palm of your hand to release the flavor and aroma.
- To double a recipe, increase spices and herbs by one and one-half, TASTE and then add more if necessary. In most recipes one and one-half times the seasoning will be sufficient to provide desired flavor.
- Spices such as fennel seed, cumin seed, sesame seed and white peppercorns may be toasted to intensify their flavors. Simply add the spice to a dry, non-stick, heated skillet and heat until aromatic
- Whole spices and seeds may be best ground using a small electric coffee grinder or spice mill. A pepper mill or mortar and pestle may also be used.
Happy cooking!
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