You may have ever wondered why your dishes are tasteless. Avoiding it is easy, just choose the best spices and choose the right time to add them. We are faced with a simple gesture that can make a big difference in the final result of a dish. You don’t need to be a professional chef to season a recipe. It is enough to know the right combinations of spices to turn a traditional recipe into a most pleasant flavor adventure.
Spices that should not be missing in any kitchen
There are numerous types of spices which we have to accompany any dish. Although the variety is extensive, every versatile kitchen should have a series of essential spices that, according to the McCormick Institute of Science, fit into the following flavor classifications: spicy, mild and aromatic.
For example, we are talking about cumin, a basic ingredient in many cuisines that adds flavor to preparations such as soups, stews or meats. Also turmeric, which is intense yellow in color and gives us a mild but slightly bitter flavor and is ideal for preparations with rice, roasted vegetables or lentil dishes.
We must not forget paprika either, one of the most versatile, with a sweet flavor and which provides a particular color to meat dishes, soups and roasted vegetables. Cinnamon, for its part, is interesting especially when we prepare baking recipes because it helps us give a sweeter flavor. But it also combines with dishes with meat or vegetables.
Ginger is another spice highly valued for its spicy and slightly sweet touch. Like cinnamon, it complements very well with sweet and savory dishes. Coriander, both in seeds and ground, is a very aromatic spice with a citrus touch that gives us a sweet touch.
Dried oregano can be used to sprinkle already prepared dishes, such as salads and marinades, or mix it in recipes such as soups and cooked meats. Nutmeg, unlike many previous ones, is a spice that we should have whole and grate it just before using it. By doing so, it gives us aroma to dishes especially with dairy products, such as rice pudding. It also goes well with baked fruits like apples.
How to use spices in cooking
The use of spices not only gives us greater flavor, but also allows us to reduce the amount of salt in food while cooking. But there are certain essential rules that we must know. First of all, and to know how we can use them, it is important to read the ingredients, smell and taste the spices. Understanding the different flavors of each one will help us understand what they will taste like in the end and, in the long run, will allow us to understand what (and which ones) they combine best with.
Therefore, when it comes to cooking with spices and herbs, it is important to know them to know how we can combine them, something that can make a difference in our dishes. But first we have to take into account what type of dish we are preparing and what the main ingredient is and then choose the spices that can best complement it.
There are some spices with opposing flavors that we can combine and create greater depth of flavor to the dish. In this sense, we can use cumin and its earthy touch to balance the citrus brightness of a dressing. Or, for example, if we cook a pasta sauce with tomato, herbs such as oregano, thyme or basil will help us enhance the sweet flavor and natural acidity of the tomato.
As we see, the use of spices is not an exact science, nor is there a right or wrong way. The key is to create something that we enjoy. From appetizers to hearty main dishes and desserts, the possibilities are endless. As a starter of asparagus and ham sprinkled with a mixture of garlic powder, pepper and thyme. Or a roast chicken with cumin, coriander, turmeric and paprika. Or, now that it’s cold, a recipe for baked apples infused with cinnamon and nutmeg.
If we find the perfect mix, the flavors will be unique. A combination of thyme, rosemary and garlic, for example, helps us enhance the flavor of roasted vegetables. But if we mix coriander, cumin and paprika, the mixture will be perfect for adding an aromatic touch to grilled meat.
If we are a little more daring, we can try infusing oils and vinegars with herbs and spices, which we can add to salads or to sauté vegetables. Or we can also prepare dressings with spices to season seafood, poultry and meat, mixing them with salt, pepper and a little oil until we have a kind of paste. If we let the meat marinate a few hours before roasting or sautéing in a pan, the result will be much more intense.
The key is not only to find the perfect balance of flavors, but also to give free rein to our imagination.
Find the right moment to add the spices
Adding spices at the right time can help us improve the flavor of the dish significantly. Some can be added at the beginning of cooking to bring out more intense flavors, but others are more delicate and should be added at the end for a fresher flavor.
It is advisable to add spices such as cumin, turmeric and mustard seeds at the beginning of cooking because they need time to release their flavors and essential oils. In this way, we get them to permeate the entire plate instead of staying on the surface of the food.
On the other hand, we can add other spices such as chili powder, paprika or pepper halfway through cooking because they have a strong flavor that can be accentuated if we also cook them for too long. Hence it is convenient to add them halfway through the process. We are talking about spices that do not need much time to mix with the rest of the ingredients, but they can become bitter if we leave them cooking for too long. They will help us especially in dishes such as soups and roasted vegetables.
Which ones will we have to leave for last? Here we must make special mention of black pepper, fresh coriander, fresh basil or dill, since these are spices that lose their organoleptic capacity if we expose them to heat for a long time. We can even add them just before serving dishes such as grilled meat or salads.
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