Herb & Spice Companion

Job:07-61264 Title:RacePoint - Herb and Spice Companion
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Job:07-61264 Title:RacePoint - Herb and Spice Companion

Dtp:VIVIAN Page:213

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(Text)

ExOTIC SPICES

• 213 –

Container: Any large size, or about 15 gallons; trans-

plant to larger containers as necessary

Light: Full sun to partial shade

Soil: Rich, well drained

Plant: Seeds or cuttings

Water: Regularly, to keep the soil consistently moist

Harvest: After 3 to 4 years, once the seed heads are

ripe and dry, snip off into a paper bag to catch all the

seeds.

Care: Trim occasionally to control size and remove dead

flowers when necessary. Prune in late winter or early

spring to promote new growth.

In the Kitchen

Dishes: Curries, soups, rice, marinades,

moles

Prep: Whole seeds can be very difficult

to grind, even in a food processor, so look

for ground powder, paste, or oil instead.

If you have seeds, you can easily make

a liquid dye or cooking oil: To make dye

for veggies or rice, soak the seeds in hot

water for several minutes, until the liquid

reaches your desired orange-y color. For

an oil to use in soups, curries, or meat

dishes, fry the seeds in oil over low heat

until the color turns golden or orange.

Strain out the seeds before using.

Serve: The flavor of annatto is very

subtle, so use plenty of it to get a real

taste in any dish, much more than you’d

use for dyeing. Mexican cooks combine

annatto powder with oregano, cumin, peppercorns, allspice, and garlic to prepare a

paste (recado rojo, or achiote paste, see page 251), used to flavor chicken, fish, and

pork. It’s often used to color paella rice. Swap in annatto for the ultra-expensive saf-

fron to get a similar color effect, but none of the flavor.

SUBSTITUTIONS

• Paprika


• Turmeric


• Saffron
  *Note: These
  ingredients offer distinct
  flavors that are stronger
  than annatto seeds,
  but they offer similar
  coloring effects.

PAIRINGS

Vegetables: cabbage, carrots,

okra, onions, peppers, plantains,

potatoes, squash, sweet potatoes,

tomatoes

Proteins: beans, beef, cheeses,

chicken, eggs, fish and seafood,

peanuts, pork, turkey

Seasonings: allspice, chili

peppers, cilantro, cloves,

coriander seeds, culantro, cumin,

epazote, garlic, oregano, paprika,

pepper

Job:07-61264 Title:RacePoint - Herb and Spice Companion
Dtp:VIVIAN Page:212

Job:07-61264 Title:RacePoint - Herb and Spice Companion

Dtp:VIVIAN Page:213

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