Fire It Up - Andrew Schloss [17]
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons coarse salt
Grind the star anise, mustard seeds, Szechuan peppercorns, anise seeds, black peppercorns, and cloves in a spice mill or coffee grinder until finely ground. Combine with the brown sugar and salt. Store in a tightly closed container for up to 1 month.
Smoky Coconut Rub
Best with pork, chicken, turkey, shellfish, fish, vegetables
MAKES ABOUT 1¼ CUPS
1 tablespoon smoked salt
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon brown sugar, light or dark
¼ to ½ teaspoon ground chipotle chile
½ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, preferably smoked
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
Mix everything together. Store in a tightly closed container for up to 1 month.
Shellfish Seasoning
Best with shellfish
MAKES ABOUT ¼ CUP
2 tablespoons celery salt
2 teaspoons ground bay leaf
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground mace
¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
Pinch of ground cardamom
Pinch of ground cinnamon
Mix everything together. Store in a tightly closed container for up to 1 month.
Fresh Rubs and Pastes
Rosemary-Anise Rub
Best with beef, lamb, game meats, game birds, chicken
MAKES ABOUT ¼ CUP
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1½ teaspoons coarse salt
1 teaspoon anise seeds
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Mix everything together. Store in a tightly closed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
VARIATION
Forest Rub: (Best with game meats, pork, lamb.) Replace the anise seeds with 2 juniper berries, ground in a clean spice mill or coffee grinder.
Fresh Herb Rub
Best with chicken, turkey, shellfish, fish, vegetables, breads
MAKES ABOUT ½ CUP
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano 2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon coarse salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Mix everything together. Alternatively, if you have a minichopper, combine the fresh herb leaves and whole garlic cloves in it and chop all at once. Mix in the salt and pepper. Store in a tightly closed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
VARIATIONS
Dill-Tarragon Rub: (Best with shellfish, fish.) Replace the rosemary with 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill and the thyme with 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon. Reduce the oregano to 1 tablespoon.
Provençal Rub: (Best with lamb and duck.) Replace 1 tablespoon of the oregano with 2 teaspoons ground fennel seeds and 1 teaspoon dried lavender.
Grill-Roasted Garlic
Good with anything except sweets
MAKES ABOUT ¼ CUP
1 small garlic bulb
1 teaspoon olive oil
Light a grill for direct medium heat, about 375°F. Cut the pointed end off the garlic bulb, exposing most of the cloves. Put the garlic bulb, cut-side up, on a 6-inch square of aluminum foil, drizzle with the olive oil, and wrap the foil around the garlic to enclose it. Grill directly over the heat until the cloves are soft, about 30 minutes.
Unwrap the garlic bulb and let cool. Cut the entire bulb in half through its equator, then squeeze the garlic from the skin and mash with a fork. Wrap tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Zhug
The preferred chile paste in Yemen. Zhug (zoog) adds fresh, warming, and pungent aromas to everything from fish and chicken to pork and vegetables. Think of it as spiced hot sauce mixed with herbal pesto. Best with veal, pork, chicken, turkey, shellfish, fish, vegetables.
MAKES ABOUT 1½ CUPS
3 ounces chile peppers (about 8 jalapeños or 12 serranos), stemmed, seeded, and coarsely chopped
½ cup packed cilantro leaves and small stems
½ cup packed flat-leaf parsley leaves and small stems
¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
¾ teaspoon ground caraway seeds
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon coarse salt
3 garlic cloves
Juice