Recipe: For deepest flavor, blend spices at home

Savvy cooks across the globe know that one of the easiest ways to add verve to their cooking is to keep a selection of aromatic spice blends at the ready. From Chinese five spice to Cajun seasoning, from Indian masalas to Chilean merken, spice blends are the cornerstones of so many cuisines, with very good reason.

Used by the pinch or by the cupful, a harmonious spice blend can deepen and round out the flavors of almost any dish, adding color, perfume and, sometimes, a stinging kick. And unlike individual spices, the beauty of a blend is in its efficiency. With all the spices carefully measured and mixed ahead of time, cooks don’t need to stop and wing it when the chicken’s in the pan.

You can buy high-quality spice blends, but you may get even better flavors if you make them yourself. Start with these versatile, beloved blends: garam masala, za’atar, five-spice and a sweet baking blend along the lines of pumpkin pie spice. Whether you use them in traditional contexts or otherwise, these seasoning mixes will make whatever you cook shine.

Once you get into the groove of toasting, grinding and mixing, creating your own blends can be its own meditative reward and highly gratifying to the senses.

If you’re new to spice blending, you may want to make these mixes once according to the recipes to familiarize yourself, then change them up to suit your tastes. Licorice despisers can reduce or leave out the fennel seeds and anise; heat seekers can shovel in more pepper or add chile powder.

Cooks should feel free to bring a certain measure of their own personality and preferences to the blending process, said Ethan Frisch, who founded Burlap & Barrel, an importer and online spice shop, with his business partner Ori Zohar in 2016.

“There’s a sense of orthodoxy in blending that really shouldn’t exist,” Frisch said. “Spice blends have always reflected the person blending them.”

Once ground, spices blends (and single spices) will last for six months to a year when properly stored away from light and heat — ideally not in a drawer or cabinet right next to your stove. Just make sure to date everything, then steel yourself to throw out spices once their time is up. It may feel wantonly wasteful, but you’re not doing your cooking any favors by stirring in spices that have lost their oomph.

Once you have a few blends tucked away, use them liberally and often.

“It can be very liberating to experiment,” said Lior Lev Sercarz, founder of La Boite, a New York-based spice shop. He routinely sprinkles garam masala into cookies, and berbere, an Ethiopian spice blend, onto pizza.

“The act of blending spices is an art,” he said, “and so is cooking with them.”

USE ONE of the spice mixes on the facing page in this easy fish dish.

ROASTED FISH WITH SPICE BUTTER AND TOMATOES

• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes (halved or quartered, if they are large)
• Kosher salt, to taste
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 3 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon or lime zest
• 1 to 2 teaspoons spice blend of choice
• 4 (6-ounce) mild white fish fillets (for example, cod, tilapia or snapper)
• 2 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
• Fresh lemon or lime juice, for serving
• Torn fresh herbs, such as mint, dill, cilantro or parsley, for serving

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place tomatoes on a rimmed baking sheet, sprinkle lightly with salt, and roast 10 minutes as you prepare fish.

In a small bowl, mix butter, garlic, zest, spice blend and a pinch of salt.

Season fish lightly with more salt. Pull pan from oven, and nestle fillets among cherry tomatoes. Pour spice butter over fish and tomatoes, tossing tomatoes to coat them. Sprinkle scallions on top of everything.

Roast until fish is flaky and cooked through, 5 to 10 minutes, depending on thickness of the fillets. Top with a squeeze of citrus juice and fresh herbs. Serves 4.

AT ONCE musky and sweet, with a pronounced kick, five spice is traditionally made from equal parts cinnamon, cloves, fennel seeds, star anise and peppercorns (usually Sichuan or white). But it’s not uncommon to find cooks sneaking in a little tangerine peel or ginger, depending on where they live and what they’re cooking, said Kian Lam Kho, author of “Phoenix Claws and Jade Trees: Essential Techniques of Authentic Chinese Cooking” (Clarkson Potter, 2015).

His version uses Sichuan peppercorns to give the mix a characteristically numbing, tingly sensation on the tongue known as mala. Because Sichuan peppercorns vary in quality, he recommends ordering from a source like Mala Market, which imports untreated peppercorns direct from growers.

Once the spices are toasted and mixed, the blend can be used whole (simmered into stews, braises and soups) or ground (added to roasted meats like duck, lamb and pork belly, vegetables and seafood). Ground five spice is also often served mixed with salt and used as a piquant condiment for barbecued dishes.

FIVE SPICE

Adapted from Kian Lam Kho

• 1 (2-inch, 5-gram) piece cassia bark or cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
• 1-1/2 teaspoons (5 grams) fennel seeds
• 5 whole (5 grams) star anise pods
• 3-1/2 teaspoons (5 grams) Sichuan peppercorns
• 2 teaspoons (5 grams) whole cloves

Place a small skillet over medium heat. Add spices and toast, stirring, until fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. Pour into small bowl and let cool. If using spices whole spices, they are ready to go.

To make a powder, use a spice grinder, clean coffee grinder or mortar and pestle to grind the spices until fine. If you like, strain the mix through a fine-mesh strainer to remove any coarse bits, but this is optional. Makes 1/4 cup.

In India, just about every home has its own recipe for garam masala, the most common spice blend in the country and a cornerstone of cuisines all over South Asia. It’s used in curries, rice dishes and dals, and with vegetables, meats and fish.

This version is adapted from Floyd Cardoz, the pioneering Indian chef who opened Tabla and Bombay Bread Bar in New York City, and who died of the coronavirus in March 2020.

His wife, Barkha Cardoz, said Cardoz’s blend was intentionally on the minimalist and sweeter side compared with other traditional mixes, making it very versatile.

“My grandmother would use 15 spices and grind enough for the whole family,” she said. “Then Floyd became the grandmother. He started making garam masala for everyone with just a few spices, so you can use it everywhere — in curries of course, and I’ve used it to make apple pie and Christmas cake.”

GARAM MASALA

Adapted from Floyd Cardoz

• 10 green cardamom pods (1 gram)
• 4 black cardamom pods (5 grams)
• 6 whole cloves (1 gram)
• 2 (2-inch, 5-gram) cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces
• 3 whole mace blades (3 grams)
• 3 whole star anise pods (2 grams)
• 3 bay leaves, preferably Indian

Heat oven to 300 degrees. Spread spices on a small rimmed baking pan and toast until fragrant, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer pan to a rack and let spices cool.

Using a spice grinder, clean coffee grinder, or mortar and pestle, grind spices until fine. If you like, strain the mix through a fine-mesh strainer to remove any coarse bits, but this is optional. Makes 1/4 cup.

>> NOTE: Cardoz’s garam masala is sold online by Burlap & Barrel.

ZA’ATAR IS the name for both a traditional Middle Eastern seasoning blend and the pungent green herb that gives the blend its intense, savory character. The hardy herb, which grows wild, tastes like a combination of oregano, marjoram, summer savory and thyme — all of which can be used as substitutes. As with all spice blends, recipes vary widely depending on the region and the cook, but most include ground sumac berries for acidity; toasted sesame seeds for their rich, earthy notes; and a little salt.

This version, adapted from Lior Lev Sercarz of La Boite spice shop in New York, plays it fairly classic, but don’t let that stop you from experimenting. “Adding nigella seeds or rosemary isn’t traditional, but it’s a fun twist,” he said.

Za’atar can be used in marinades for poultry or meats; mixed into dips, salads and egg dishes; or offered at the table as a bright, herbaceous condiment.

ZA’ATAR

Adapted from Lior Lev Sercarz

• 1 tablespoon (9 grams) sesame seeds, preferably unhulled
• 3 tablespoons (5 grams) dried za’atar leaves (see note)
• 1 tablespoon (10 grams) crushed or ground sumac
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Place a small skillet over medium heat. Add sesame seeds and toast, stirring, until fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. Pour into a small bowl and set aside to cool.

Grind za’atar leaves with sumac and salt. Add to toasted sesame seeds; mix well. Makes 1/3 cup.

>> NOTE: Za’atar leaves may be replaced by a combination of 2 tablespoons dried marjoram, 1 tablespoon dried thyme and 2 tablespoons dried oregano.

A SWEET baking spice blend predominantly flavored with warming, fragrant notes of cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg or mace is a staple in American and European culinary culture.

This version adds a jolt of white pepper for heat, along with the deep perfume of cardamom. Use a teaspoon or two in pies (apple, pumpkin and beyond), fruit and nut cakes and tortes, and all manner of cookies (especially shortbread). Or knead some into sweet breads. Smaller amounts are wonderful on hot chocolate and rice pudding, and add depth to homemade ice cream.

SWEET BAKING SPICE

• 2 (2-inch, 5-gram) cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces
• 1 tablespoon (8 grams) green cardamom pods
• 1 whole nutmeg (2 grams)
• 3/4 teaspoon (1 gram) whole allspice berries
• 1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) white peppercorns

Place a small skillet over medium heat. Add spices and toast, stirring, until fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. Pour into a small bowl; let cool.

Grind cooled spices until fine. If you like, you can strain the mix through a fine-mesh strainer to remove any coarse bits, but this is optional. Makes 1/4 cup.