Ras el Hanout
Recipe by Gravity84
Ras el Hanout or "Top of the Shop" is a spice mix from Morocco. As its name implies, it is a blend of the best spices that any particular merchant has to offer and contains dozens of spices, some recipes are said to have over 100. Because it is based completely on what any given shop has that is of good quality, the ratios and ingredients are never really set in stone, but many have a few things in common. The following is a recipe from Modernist Cuisine, scaled back to make enough for one batch of a tagine.
Ingredients[edit]
Amt(g) %Scale Ingredient 10g 100% Ginger powder 7.5g 75% Turmeric powder 6.25g 62.5% Black peppercorns 3.75g 37.5% Coriander seeds, toasted 3g 30% Grains of paradise, toasted 1.375g 13.75% Cinnamon stick 1.375g 13.75% Star anise, toasted 1.35g 13.5% Dried chile* 1.25g 12.5% Dried rosebuds 1g 10% Allspice 0.9g 9% Cubeb pepper, toasted 0.5g 5% Clove 0.5g 5% Nutmeg
- you can control the heat level of your Ras el Hanout by choosing your dried chile appropriately. Japones, arbol, pequin, etc will all be very hot. Habanero will add a fruity note that you may or may not want. Guajillo, ancho, etc will be milder and more raisiny. Paprika will just add "chile" flavor with pretty much no heat.
Gravity84 Additions[edit]
1g 10% cumin seed, toasted 1g 10% Nigella seed 1g 10% black mustard seed, toasted
Other common spices[edit]
The following spices are listed in various other recipes found on the internet or in articles about Ras el Hanout. I have not tested using them but they are worth mentioning since the recipe for Ras el Hanout is not a firmly defined thing.
Lavender Mace galangal long pepper saffron fenugreek alligator pepper Ashanti pepper Belladonna berries Orris root Ajwain Mastic Ash berries Senegal Pepper Monk's Pepper Green and/or Black Cardamom, toasted
Procedure[edit]
Measure the spices that do not need to be toasted and put them into a grinder of choice (clean coffee grinder, magic bullet, mortar and pestle). Measure the spices that need to be toasted and place them in a dry skillet. Toast them on high heat, stirring constantly until they begin to pop and are fragrant. Transfer to grinder and pulverize all of the ingredients until they are a very fine powder. Use in soups, stews, tagines, as a rub for grilled meats, or as a seasoning for rice or cous cous.
