Powders are primarily a visual device, to make a dish look more appealing. They’re typically a by-product related to the dish—tomato powder for a tomato salad, beet powder when we’re serving beets. But some of our powders have a more pronounced effect on the finished dish. The squab spice is used both as a spice and as a powder: It seasons the squab sauce and then interacts with the sauce again on the plate in the final presentation; also, it’s very volatile, so when it hits a hot plate, the oils in the spices add an exciting aromatic dimension to the dish. The dried horseradish, not ground to powder, adds a distinct flavor and crunch.
During a typical dinner service, I will have squab spice, mushroom powder, dried horseradish, paprika, carrot powder, yellow and black mustard, beet powder, red onion powder, pepper, and fennel powder at my station. Powders are fun.
At the French Laundry, we make these powders by putting the pulp or purée of a given vegetable on a baking sheet and setting it above the ovens, where the temperature happens to be perfect for drying it. It would be difficult for you to try to re-create this effect at home, so we’ve come up with a way of simulating the effect using a microwave oven. Microwave ovens vary in power, so you may need to adjust the cooking times accordingly.
NOTE: If when you are grinding a vegetable or fruit powder, it seems damp and won’t grind properly, return it to the microwave. Microwave at low power for 1 to 2 minutes at a time, until it is completely dry, and then regrind.
All of the powders will keep at room temperature for several days or longer, but they begin to lose flavor and color after a few days.
½ cup very finely chopped carrots (chopped in a food processor; or use the pulp left after juicing carrots in a juicer)
Squeeze the carrots in a towel or blot on paper towels to remove excess moisture. Line a microwave tray with a piece of parchment paper and spread the carrots on it in a thin, even layer. Microwave on low power for about 40 minutes, or until the carrots are completely dried out. Let cool to room temperature.
Grind the carrots to a powder in a coffee or spice grinder. Store in a covered plastic container.
makes about 1 tablespoon
¼ cup julienned orange zest
¼ cup julienned lime zest
¼ cup julienned lemon zest
Use a zester to remove the zests of the fruits in a fine julienne.
Place each zest in a separate small pan, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Once the water is at a boil, drain the zest and return to the pan. Repeat the blanching process two more times. Dry the zests on paper towels. Line a micro-wave tray with a piece of parchment paper and spread all the zest evenly on it in one layer, without mixing the different zests. Microwave at medium power for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the zests are dried out. If one type of zest dries before the others, remove it.
Once the zests are dried, grind them all together in a coffee grinder for several minutes, or until as fine as possible. Sift the zest through a fine-mesh strainer, stirring it with a spoon, to obtain a finer powder. Store in a sealed plastic container.
makes 1 generous tablespoon
5 shiitake mushrooms (1 ounce), stems removed
Using a very sharp knife, cut the shiitake mushrooms into paper-thin slices. Line a microwave tray with a piece of parchment paper and lay the mushroom slices on it in a single layer. Microwave on medium power for about 10 minutes, or until the mushrooms look shriveled and about half of their original size. If the mushrooms are not crisp, return to the microwave briefly; they should be fully dried but should not brown.
Cool the slices for a few minutes, then grind in a coffee grinder or spice grinder until the powder resembles coarsely ground black pepper. Do not grind the powder too fine or it will not be noticeable on the plate. Store in a covered plastic container.
makes about 1 tablespoon
½ cup finely minced red onion (minced by hand or in the food processor)
Line a microwave tray with a piece of parchment paper and spread the onions on it in a thin, even layer. Microwave on medium power for about 20 minutes, or until the onions are completely dried out. Let cool to room temperature.
Grind the onions in a coffee or spice grinder until they resemble the flakes of kosher salt. Store in a covered plastic container.
makes about 1 tablespoon
½ cup finely chopped tomato pulp (from a peeled and seeded tomato)
Squeeze the tomato pulp in a towel to extract any excess moisture. Line a microwave tray with a piece of parchment paper and spread the tomatoes on it in a thin, even layer. Microwave on low power for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the pulp is completely dried out but maintains its color. Let cool to room temperature.
Grind the dried pulp in a coffee or spice grinder until as fine as possible. There may be some pieces that do not break up, so when you feel the powder is as fine as it will get, sift it through a fine-mesh strainer, stirring with a spoon. Store in a covered plastic container.
makes about 1 tablespoon
½ cup finely chopped beet (chopped in a food processor; or use the pulp left after juicing beets in a juicer)
Blot the beet pulp with paper towels to extract excess moisture. Line a microwave tray with a piece of parchment paper and spread the beets on it in a thin, even layer. Microwave on low power for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the beets are completely dried out but still maintain their color. Let the beets cool to room temperature. Grind the beets to a powder in a coffee or spice grinder. Store in a covered plastic container.
makes about 1 tablespoon
1 tablespoon black mustard seeds
1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
Grind the mustard seeds together to a fine powder in a coffee or spice grinder. Sift through a fine-mesh strainer, stirring with a spoon. Store in a covered plastic container.
makes about 1 tablespoon
2 tablespoons fennel seeds
Toast the fennel seeds in a small skillet over low heat until fragrant.
Grind the seeds to a fine powder in a coffee or spice grinder. Sift through a fine-mesh strainer, stirring with a spoon. Store in a covered plastic container.
makes about 1 tablespoon
¼ cup shredded fresh horseradish
Drain the horseradish on paper towels to extract excess moisture. Line a microwave tray with a piece of parchment paper and spread the horseradish on it in a thin, even layer; try to spread the shreds apart as much as possible. Microwave on low power for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the horseradish is completely dry. Let cool to room temperature, then store in a covered plastic container.
makes about 1 generous tablespoon
¼ stick cinnamon, broken into small pieces
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1½ teaspoons cloves
2 tablespoons quatre épices (four-spice powder; see Sources)
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
Toast the cinnamon, coriander, cloves, and quatre-épices in a small skillet over low heat until fragrant.
Finely grind the toasted spices with the black pepper in a spice or coffee grinder. Sift through a fine-mesh strainer, stirring with a spoon. Store in a sealed container at room temperature or in the freezer. (The squab spice begins to lose some of its intensity after a few days; freeze for longer storage and use directly from the freezer.)
makes about ⅓ cup