A Finer Grind
Roasting and grinding whole spices is all the rage among chefs these days, and one whiff of pan-roasted fennel or a quick grind of a homemade toasted peppercorn blend will tell you why. Whole spices retain their flavor longer than ground spices, which have a larger surface area exposed to air. Toasting the spices in a dry skillet before grinding heightens their flavor even further and gives them a nutty, earthy aroma.
But you don’t need a storeroom full of seasonings to try your hand at roasting and grinding your own spices. Start with five favorites and make some sublime blends. They’ll take your recipes to the next level and fill your kitchen with spice market scents.
5 SPICES TO BUY WHOLE
1. Peppercorns Black, green, white, and pink peppercorns make a well-rounded, personalized seasoning.
2. Szechuan Pepper The unique flavor of these peppercorn-like dried berries make them a favorite freshly ground flourish in Asian cuisines.
3. Cumin Some of cumin’s robust, smoky flavor gets lost when pre-ground and stored too long.
4. Coriander Once ground, the delicate, peppery flavor of these dried seeds, from the plant that gives us cilantro, can fade in storage.
5. Fennel Ground fennel can be hard to find in the spice aisle; the seeds of the common fennel plant have a smoky, mild anise taste.
Hands-On or High Speed?
Find the right spice grinder for your cooking needs.
Mortar and pestle The advantages to this traditional tool: the two components are easy to clean, and manually crushing spices lets you prepare smaller amounts than you could in an electric gadget.
We like: Le Creuset Mortar & Pestle: $28; abt.com
Pepper (or spice) mill Not just for freshly grinding black pepper. You can fill different pepper mills with peppercorn mixes, whole coriander seeds, or Szechuan Pepper Salt.
We like: Peugeot Nancy 7-inch Acrylic Pepper Mill; $28; amazon.com
Spice grinder Size and stability are the selling points of this machine, which is designed to grind spices to a fine powder.
We like: Cuisinart Spice & Nut Grinder: $39.95; williams-sonoma.com
Coffee grinder The perfect grinder for medium-sized spice batches. The high-speed blades pulverize even such tough items as whole cloves and flaxseeds.
We like: Krups Coffee Grinder: $19.95; cooking.com
get the recipes
Four Peppercorn Mix
In this multihued combination, different peppercorn flavors play off one another for a seasoning that’s spicy, smoky, and a little bit sweet. Sprinkle on salads or use to “finish” cooked dishes the way you’d use black pepper.
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Heirloom Tomato Carpaccio with Four Peppercorn Mix
Four Peppercorn Mix turns a late-summer salad into a sublime appetizer.
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Carrot Soup with Fennel Pesto
Wispy fennel fronds from the tops of fresh fennel bulbs are ground with fennel seeds to make a flavorful pesto.
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Szechuan Pepper Salt
In Asian cuisine, this spice combination is often sprinkled over deep-fried foods or used to finish stir-fries. The dried berries need to be toasted before grinding to release their distinctive flavor.
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Haricots Verts Stir-Fry with Szechuan Pepper Salt
Crisp-tender thin green beans add a touch of elegance to a basic stir-fry. To give the dish a salty-spicy crunch, use more Szechuan Pepper Salt.
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Garam Masala
Once you’ve gotten the hang of roasting whole spices, it’s a snap to make your own version of this beloved Indian blend.
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Tricolor Charred Peppers with Cumin-Coriander Vinaigrette
A vinaigrette with pan-roasted coriander and cumin seeds perfectly complements the sweetness of charred peppers.
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Vegetable Rice Pilaf with Garam Masala
Butter infused with our Garam Masala gets drizzled over this filling pilaf entrée.
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at a glance
