Inspired by the June issue of Gourmet, I’ve been on a spice paste spree for the past week. I tried chicken breasts with a North African spice paste recipe from the magazine and then started experimenting with other blends, altering ingredients and amounts to reflect different cuisine influences.

Why use a spice paste over a marinade? For one thing, you need time to marinate a piece of meat. Because a spice paste clings to the meat and forms a crust, you don’t have the waiting time you have for a marinade. You could rub the spice paste on a couple of hours ahead of time, but you don’t have to.

Once cooked, the pungent, textured crust beautifully contrasts the plain, juicy meat. Unlike a marinade, which evenly coats a cut of meat and results in a consistently flavored finished dish, the spice paste comes with surprises: a cluster of ginger here, a nugget of garlic there.

The formula for a spice paste is simple: a few ground spices + puréed aromatics like ginger, garlic, chiles + salt and pepper + just enough oil to create a medium. Here’s one of my favorites from this week. (I rubbed it on thick pork loin chops, then grilled them):

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons minced shallot
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced ginger
1 serranon chile, minced
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepepr
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Instructions:
1. Mince the shallot, garlic, ginger and serrano. (I prefer to use a knife, but you could also use a food processor or mortar and pestle.) If using whole cumin and coriander seeds, toast the seeds in a dry pan over medium heat until fragrant and brown in spots, 3-5 minutes. Grind the seeds in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder.

2. Stir together the aromatics and spices with the salt and pepper. Add just enough oil to make a spreadable paste that will cover the entire surface of what you’re cooking. Apply the rub before cooking, up to 2 hours before you’re ready to use.

Posted by brys in craving, recipes, techniques | | Subscribe to this feed