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

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

1g	10%	cumin seed, toasted
1g	10%	Nigella seed
1g	10%	black mustard seed, toasted

Other common spices

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

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.