Clockwise from top left: Tellicherry black peppercorns, fennel seed, saffron strands, cayenne powder, Vietnamese cinnamon, turmeric (fresh and dried), black and yellow mustard seeds, Sichuan pepper, coriander seed, star anise. Center: Allspice berries, fresh bay leaves, smoky pimentón.
Many of the spices we think of as everyday ingredients—cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, for instance—were once both precious and exotic. Now we take spices, right down to the notion of salt and pepper, for granted. We expect them to be in any supermarket—nearly any variety waiting for us in the spice section. But something about seeing those pristine little jars, neatly packaged and labeled, blurs any vestigial collective memory of the spice market. I usually prefer to buy spices whole and grind them as necessary, so I patronize shops that cater to Asian, Latino, and Middle Eastern communities, where high turnover means spices are likely to be fresher and more flavorful.
Consider first how long humans have been using spices: thousands of years. The Bible is replete with references to spices. The ancient Romans knew all about spices (or many of them). And consider that, like everything else that we eat, spices were found in the wild long before they were ever cultivated.
I find it hard to resist buying spices whenever I see them in a spice shop. I usually come home with a giant bagful of them—some to use today and some to have on hand. My spice cupboard tends to be full to overflowing. We jokingly call it “Spice World”—but that’s not so far off base, because spices do transport you to other worlds. And they can inspire you to explore unfamiliar cuisines.
It’s important to store spices in airtight containers in a cool, dark place so that their volatile oils, which give them their flavor, don’t diminish. Open containers of spices can quickly lose their potency. The best advice is to purchase spices in small quantities and to replenish them only as needed.
As you become more comfortable cooking with spices, you may be inclined to grind your own, as you would do with coffee beans. The same principle applies—grinding spices releases the flavorful oils, and buying spices whole rather than preground prevents their flavors and fragrances from dissipating over time. Many recipes suggest toasting the spices in a dry pan until fragrant before grinding them because this helps unleash their essence. The Indian technique of sizzling spices in butter or oil, referred to as tarka, can be invaluable as well (see Spicy Yogurt Raita).
For the most part, Western cooks (though this is certainly an overgeneralization) are satisfied with only a few different spices, or they may even shy away from them altogether (other than pepper). But an Indian cook, for example, is culturally predisposed to understanding the use of many spices, including half a dozen or more in a single dish. Even if it’s a dish of humble potatoes or lentils, a hint of spice can make a world of difference.
The possibilities for using spices in your cooking are boundless, and the examples that follow are by no means an encyclopedic list. They are only the tiniest tip of the iceberg.
Spices of the Souk
Given the opportunity, it’s still exciting to buy spices in a souk-like setting. In Morocco, the spice merchant welcomes you to the shop with a cup of mint tea and chats for a while. Then he commences weighing out spices on an old bronze scale, wrapping each purchase in paper. Once I was served an infusion made with pure saffron and gold leaf, suitable for fancy occasions.
Moroccan Lamb Tagine
Earthy, aromatic lamb tagine.
The shank is the best cut for this Moroccan-spiced lamb stew. Its natural gelatin gives a melting, unctuous quality to the dish. (Even when I make this tagine with meaty neck bones or lamb shoulder chops, I like to add at least one shank to the pot.) The meat is simmered to sticky tenderness with buttery saffron-flecked onions, soft prunes and apricots, and a spice mixture with just enough cayenne. Interestingly, Moroccan food is often spice-laden, but rarely spicy-hot.
FOR THE TAGINE
6 lamb shanks (about 1 pound each), trimmed of fat
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter
2 medium onions, thickly sliced
Pinch of saffron threads
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
A 2-inch chunk fresh ginger, peeled and slivered
1 small cinnamon stick
2 teaspoons cayenne
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 cup golden raisins
2 cups pitted prunes
2 cups dried apricots
4 cups Blond Chicken Broth or water
1 cup tomato puree
FOR THE GARNISH
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup blanched whole almonds
Salt
Sugar
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Season the lamb generously with salt and pepper.
Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the onions, sprinkle with a little salt, and crumble in the saffron. Stew the onions gently for 5 minutes, or until slightly softened. Remove from the heat and stir in the garlic, fresh ginger, and all the spices, then stir in the raisins, half the prunes, and half the apricots.
Put the lamb in a Dutch oven and top with the onion mixture. Add the broth and tomato puree and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover the pot with foil and the lid, transfer to the oven, and cook for about 2 hours, until the meat is meltingly tender. Remove the lid and foil, add the remaining prunes and apricots to the pot, and submerge them in the liquid.
Raise the heat to 400 degrees and return the lamb to the oven, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes or so.
Skim off any surface fat. (The tagine reheats perfectly, so you can make it up to 2 days ahead.)
Just before serving, melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the almonds and gently fry until golden. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt and sugar.
Transfer the tagine to a large platter, sprinkle with fried almonds, and serve. Makes 6 to 8 servings
Aromatic Peppercorns
If you go to a spice store, you can choose between Tellicherry or Malabar Piper nigrum (black pepper) from South India, both of which have a bright, fruity quality. Or you can try other varieties from Brazil, Vietnam, Indonesia, and beyond; some are quite floral in flavor. Good black peppercorns provide more than just heat; they can add a note of sweetness as well as a woodsy background flavor.
Sichuan pepper is not actually pepper but rather the dried fruit of a shrub native to northern China’s Sichuan Province. In addition to being “peppery,” it’s also musky and aromatic. Sichuan pepper is also famous for the pleasant tingly sensation it creates in your mouth.
Chicken Breasts au Poivre
A coating of black peppercorns and Sichuan pepper brightens a chicken breast immeasurably.
The term au poivre usually refers to some kind of beef steak, but there’s something really pleasing about making this dish with chicken breasts instead of beef. I like the contrast of the very peppery crust against the sweet, mild flavor of the chicken. You could use just black peppercorns, but Sichuan pepper gives this another dimension. Crushing the peppercorns releases their flavorful oils. Use a mortar and pestle, or a heavy rolling pin or cast-iron skillet, to obtain the coarsest texture possible.
2 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts (8 ounces each)
Salt
3 tablespoons crushed black peppercorns
1 tablespoon crushed Sichuan pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or butter
FOR THE SAUCE
1 cup Dark Chicken Broth
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
Lay the chicken breasts on a baking sheet and season on each side with salt. Combine the black and Sichuan peppers. Coat the chicken with the peppercorns on each side. Let rest for at least 1 hour at room temperature or refrigerate for a few hours; bring back to room temperature before proceeding.
Put the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet set over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add the chicken and cook for about 3 minutes on each side, until lightly browned and just cooked through. (Residual heat will cook them more as they rest, so don’t go longer.) Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside to rest in a warm place while you make the sauce.
Add the chicken broth to the pan, bring to a simmer over medium heat, and cook until reduced by one-third. Stir in the butter, then turn off the heat.
Slice the chicken breasts on an angle and arrange on a platter. Spoon the sauce over, sprinkle with parsley, and serve. Makes 4 servings
Curry Spices
It’s easy to make your own curry spice mixture using cumin, coriander, fennel seeds, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne, and turmeric rather than resort to a commercial rendition made in a huge factory. Customize the blend to suit your own taste. Indian cooks make a masala (spice mixture) suited to the individual dish, not an all-purpose blend. And “curry” can be a controversial term—it lumps any type of saucy seasoned dish into a catchall category that is ultimately vague—but everybody uses it, even in India.
Soft-Shell Crabs with Curry Butter
Luscious Soft-Shell Crabs with Curry Butter.
Soft-shell crabs are delicious, no matter their preparation. I am always happy with a crispy deep-fried one. Soft-shell crabs cooked in butter and finished with garlic, parsley, and lemon are always sheer pleasure. Go one better and sauté them in a spicy curry butter. The kicky components of the spice mixture, along with ginger, garlic, and lime, add a bright boost of flavor and complement the sweetness of the crabs. Dusting them with rice flour ensures a crispier creature.
6 tablespoons Curry Butter (recipe follows)
4 large soft-shell crabs (about 5 ounces each), cleaned
1 cup rice flour (optional)
1 bunch watercress
Lime wedges
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the curry butter, let it melt, and swirl the pan to distribute it. Dust the crabs lightly with the rice flour, if using. When the butter is foamy, add the crabs in one layer, raise the heat to high, and cook for 3 minutes. (Be careful, as the butter may spatter.) Turn the crabs, using tongs, and cook for 3 minutes on the other side, or until crisp and cooked through. Remove the crabs and keep warm.
Add the remaining 4 tablespoons curry butter to the pan and heat until it sizzles. Arrange the crabs on a warm platter or individual plates. Spoon the melted curry butter over the crabs, garnish with the watercress sprigs and lime wedges, and serve at once. Makes 4 servings
Curry Butter
This curry butter is wonderful with all kinds of fish and shellfish. It’s also nice to have on hand for sautéing vegetables or cooking eggs. It would be delicious dabbed on grilled lamb chops or used to butter an avocado sandwich.
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon coriander seeds
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon black pepper
⅛ teaspoon cayenne
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
½ teaspoon grated or minced garlic
½ teaspoon salt
Grated zest and juice of 1 lime
¼ cup unsalted roasted almonds, crushed
½ cup chopped scallions
Heat the cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until lightly toasted and fragrant, a minute or so. Grind the toasted spices to a powder with a mortar and pestle or spice mill. Add the nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne, and turmeric.
Put the butter in a bowl. Add the spices, ginger, garlic, salt, and lime zest and juice and mash into the butter with a wooden spoon. Add the crushed almonds and scallions and mix until well incorporated. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. The recipe makes more curry butter than is needed for this dish. Freeze leftovers, cut into 1-inch cubes, and wrap well. Makes about 1 cup
Eggplant and Potato Pakora
Fresh from the frying pan. Eat them while they’re hot.
Pakoras are crispy fritters that can be made from most any vegetable—chiles, corn, eggplant, or potatoes, for example—dipped in a spiced chickpea flour (bejan) batter. This batter contains ajwain seeds, which taste a bit like thyme or oregano and add a sweet pungency, and hing, or asafoetida, a strongly perfumed, resinous spice that lends a richness and flavor that some say is reminiscent of truffles. Fry a few to serve with drinks before dinner. Or, if you have help in the kitchen, these are just the thing for a cocktail party.
FOR THE BATTER
1½ cups chickpea flour
½ cup rice flour
½ teaspoon ajwain seeds
½ teaspoon sesame seeds
Pinch or two of powdered hing (asafoetida)
¼ teaspoon cayenne
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon salt
4 to 5 cups water
Vegetable oil for deep-frying
FOR THE VEGETABLES
1 medium eggplant, sliced into ⅛-inch rounds
3 small potatoes, peeled and sliced into ⅛-inch rounds
Salt
Green Yogurt Chutney or Spicy Yogurt Raita (recipes follow)
To make the batter, combine the chickpea flour, rice flour, ajwain seeds, sesame seeds, hing, cayenne, turmeric, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk in 4 cups of the water to make a smooth batter, then add up to 1 cup more water if necessary; not too thin, but not too thick. When ready to cook, do a trial pakora to see if the batter needs thinning.
Pour 2 inches of oil into a wok or cast-iron Dutch oven and heat to 375 degrees. Dip little clusters of vegetable slices into the batter (2 eggplant slices and 2 potato slices held together) and slide into the hot oil; do not crowd the pan. Fry the pakoras for about 2 minutes, until nicely colored. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle lightly with salt. Repeat with the remaining vegetables and batter.
Serve the pakoras hot, as they are ready, with chutney or raita. Makes 6 servings
Green Yogurt Chutney
This quickly made spicy green chutney is also perfect with steamed green vegetables or grilled fish.
1 cup mint leaves
1 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems
2 serrano chiles, roughly chopped
¼ cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
Put the mint, cilantro, chiles, yogurt, sugar, and salt in a blender or food processor and blend well. Transfer to a serving bowl and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Makes about 1 cup
A beautiful bunch of cilantro, also called green coriander, about to become chutney.
Spicy Yogurt Raita
Sizzled mustard and cumin seeds flavor a raita.
Mustard and cumin seeds roasted in hot oil until they sizzle and begin to pop—the technique is called tarka—infuse this raita with flavor. It’s good as a dip as well as a condiment to accompany a meal.
1½ cups plain whole-milk yogurt
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon finely diced red chile, such as Fresno or red jalapeño
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
½ teaspoon black mustard seeds
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
2 tablespoons chopped mint
Put the yogurt in a bowl and stir in the ginger, chile, and salt.
Put the oil in a small skillet set over medium heat and heat until hot. Add the mustard and cumin seeds and let sizzle until seeds begin to pop, about 1 minute. Carefully stir the hot contents of skillet into the yogurt. Add the chopped mint, cover, and let the flavors mingle for at least 15 minutes. The raita can be prepared several hours before serving, covered, and refrigerated. Makes about 1½ cups
Chinese Five-Spice Powder
Muscovy duck breast cooked in the French style, but seasoned with a classic Chinese five-spice blend.
Fragrant Chinese five-spice powder—a heady traditional mix of Sichuan pepper, fennel seeds, cloves, star anise, and cinnamon—is genius. Complex and sprightly, it’s especially delectable with duck, but it also works well with roast pork or chicken.
Five-Spice Duck Breast
It’s easy to cook a duck breast at home once you know the technique. It’s simply a matter of slowly crisping the skin and cooking the breast like a steak, until the juices start to rise. You want large Muscovy duck breasts, which weigh about a pound each. And, like steak, the duck breast should be cooked to a rosy medium- rare. Serve this with Glazed Shiitake Mushrooms if desired.
2 Muscovy duck breasts (about 1 pound each)
Salt
2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder (see Note)
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, smashed to a paste with a little salt
Trim the duck breasts if necessary, removing excess fat or gristle. With a sharp knife, score the skin of each breast diagonally. Season both sides of the duck breasts with salt, then sprinkle both sides evenly with the five-spice powder. Mix together the ginger and garlic and slather over the breasts. Cover and marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature. (Alternatively, wrap the breasts and refrigerate for several hours, or even overnight; bring back to room temperature before cooking.)
Place a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, lay the duck breasts in it, skin side down, and let sizzle gently for about 7 minutes, adjusting the heat as necessary to keep the skin from getting too dark too quickly, until the skin is crisp and golden. Turn the breasts over and cook for 3 to 5 minutes more; an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast should register 125 degrees for medium-rare. Transfer to a warm plate and let rest for 10 minutes.
To serve, slice the duck breasts thinly across the grain on a diagonal and arrange on a platter. Makes 4 servings
Note: To make your own five-spice powder, grind 1 tablespoon each Sichuan pepper (or black peppercorns), star anise, crushed cinnamon stick, cloves, and fennel seeds in a spice grinder. Store in a glass jar.
Fennel Seeds
Italians love fennel seed and use it in abundance—in biscotti, taralli, and other baked goods. Fennel is also the perfect spice for all kinds of meat—chicken, duck, and lamb all pair well with it, but the sweetness of the seeds is especially brilliant with pork.
Bucatini with Homemade Fennel Sausage
Although most Italian delis sell good-quality fennel sausages, with a choice of sweet or hot, it’s not at all a chore to make a little sausage at home. Buy ground pork from the butcher, and customize the seasoning, adding salt, garlic, hot pepper, and fennel seeds to taste. If you don’t have the time, however, you can substitute one pound hot fennel sausage in links from the market—just remove the casings.
FOR THE SAUSAGE
1 pound coarsely ground pork shoulder, not too lean
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon mild paprika
3 garlic cloves, grated or minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
Salt and pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon roughly chopped rosemary
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 pound Swiss chard (or other greens, such as kale or mustard), stems trimmed, leaves roughly chopped into 2-inch-wide strips
½ cup water
1 pound bucatini or other dried pasta
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
A chunk of pecorino or Parmesan, for grating
To make the sausage, put the ground pork in a bowl and add the salt, fennel seeds, crushed red pepper, paprika, and garlic. Working quickly to keep the meat cold, mix well by hand to distribute the seasonings evenly. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. (The sausage can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen.)
Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a wide deep skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage, breaking it into small rough pieces with a wooden spoon, and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion and sausage are lightly browned and the sausage is cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic, rosemary, and tomato paste and stir well to coat. Add the chard and water, and stir until wilted and tender, about 2 minutes. Check the seasoning and turn off the heat.
Generously salt the pasta water, add the pasta, and cook until al dente. When the pasta is nearly ready, quickly reheat the sausage mixture.
Drain the pasta and add to the skillet. Using tongs or two wooden spoons, toss the pasta with the sauce over low heat. Transfer to a large warmed serving bowl and serve with the chopped parsley and grated cheese. Makes 4 to 6 servings
Other Pork and Fennel Thoughts
To make fennel-scented pork chops, season thin-sliced pork chops with salt and pepper, a little chopped garlic, a good pinch of fennel seeds, crushed in a mortar, and a drizzle of olive oil. Cook quickly in a hot cast-iron pan. For a pork roast with a more elaborate fennel seasoning, try the Tuscan Pork Roast.
Cumin Seed
Fragrant toasted cumin seeds for ground cumin and Cumin Salt.
What is it about cumin? I love its earthy aroma. I like the simple act of toasting it to bring out its fragrance and grinding it coarsely with a mortar and pestle. Of course I like the taste of it too, in just about anything. It’s a popular spice in countless cuisines, and for me, it is a spice that always adds interest, warmth, and depth.
Cumin Lamb Pitas
Lamb with cumin is a natural, a favorite throughout the Middle East. This is a quick stir-fry to be tucked into pitas and eaten immediately.
FOR THE LAMB
1 pound boneless lamb, cut against the grain into strips approximately ½ by 3 inches wide
Salt and pepper
½ teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground, plus ½ teaspoon whole cumin seeds, lightly toasted
½ teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted and ground
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 or 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
FOR THE TAHINI SAUCE
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon grated or minced garlic
Pinch of cayenne, or more to taste
1 cup plain yogurt (not Greek-style)
Salt and pepper
FOR SERVING
4 to 6 pitas, warmed
Put the lamb in a bowl and season generously with salt and pepper. Add the cumin, coriander, crushed red pepper, and olive oil and toss well to coat. Let marinate for 30 minutes.
Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat until nearly smoking. Add the lamb in one layer (no need to add oil to the pan) and let it sear for a minute to firm slightly. (If necessary, brown the lamb in batches so as not to crowd the pan.) Then stir-fry until the lamb is well browned and cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the garlic, parsley, and lemon zest, and stir to coat. Transfer to a platter.
To make the tahini sauce, in a small bowl, stir together the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and cayenne. Whisk in the yogurt and season with salt and black pepper.
Serve with the warmed pitas, tahini sauce, and cucumbers. Makes 4 to 6 servings
I like to keep a little bowl of cumin salt on the table for sprinkling on all sorts of things: grilled vegetables, yogurt, buttered bread, eggs, fresh mozzarella. Or use it to season a roast chicken or grilled or braised lamb.
To make cumin salt, toast a tablespoon of cumin seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant and just beginning to brown. Transfer to a mortar (or spice mill) and grind to a coarse powder. In a small bowl, mix the toasted cumin with 3 tablespoons flaky salt—or to taste; the proportions are flexible. For a spicy version, add a good pinch of cayenne or hot paprika.
Other spices make deliciously flavored salts too. Try coriander or fennel seeds or Sichuan pepper using the same method.
Sweet Spices
Saffron has a floral, honeyed perfume. Cinnamon is a sweet bark. Cardamom seeds are pungent and musky. Allspice is round and bright. Black pepper has notes of fruit and the jungle. Cumin is warm and earthy. All are fragrant spices, but each is quite different from the other.
Jeweled Rice
Glorious, decadent Persian Jeweled Rice.
Laced with buttery spiced onions, nuts, and dried gem-colored fruits, jeweled rice is luxurious. It’s festive—typically served at weddings and banquets in Iran—but there’s no reason you can’t serve it at any family gathering. One goal in making this dish is to achieve a crisp buttery layer of rice, called tahdig, on the bottom of the pot. While it’s not difficult to do, it takes a little finesse and practice. The half-cooked rice is browned gently over a moderate flame before being splashed with a little saffron-infused water. Then the lid goes on and the heat is turned very low so the rice steams slowly. With a little luck, the golden crust is achieved. To serve, you invert the rice so the crisp tahdig is the top.
2 cups basmati rice
Salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion, finely diced
¼ teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled and soaked in ¼ cup hot water
Large pinch of ground cinnamon
Large pinch of ground cardamom
Large pinch of ground allspice
Large pinch of black pepper
Large pinch of ground cumin
⅓ cup chopped dried apricots
⅓ cup golden raisins or currants
⅓ cup dried barberries or goji berries, soaked in warm water for 5 minutes and drained (or substitute dried cherries or cranberries)
⅓ cup slivered blanched almonds
⅓ cup roughly chopped pistachios
Rinse the rice several times in cold water until the water runs clear. Drain. Bring 3 quarts water to a boil in a large pot. Add 2 tablespoons salt, then add the rice and boil, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes; drain well in a sieve.
Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, season lightly with salt, and cook until softened and lightly colored, 4 to 5 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of the saffron water, stir in the cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, black pepper, and cumin, and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the apricots, raisins, and barberries. Remove from the heat.
Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a enameled or nonstick Dutch oven over medium heat. Spread half the parcooked rice over the bottom of the pot. Spoon over the onion-fruit mixture, then spread the remaining rice over the top. Cook, still over medium heat, uncovered, for 10 to 12 minutes to gently brown the rice; do not stir or move the rice—you will need to rely on your nose to know when the rice has browned.
Drizzle the remaining saffron water over the rice, put on the lid, reduce the heat to very low, and cook, undisturbed, for 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and let stand for about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add the almonds and pistachios and gently toast for a minute or so, taking care not to let the nuts get too brown. Remove from the heat.
To serve, invert the pot onto a platter or over a wide bowl, so the crisp bottom is on top. (If you don’t succeed, just spoon out the rice, then carefully lift out the bottom crust with a spatula and place it crisp side up on top of the rice.) Sprinkle with the toasted nuts. Makes 6 to 8 servings
Everyday Spiced Rice
You can also use whole spices to lend subtle flavor to everyday rice. Toss whole cardamom pods, peppercorns, and cloves into the pot to perfume the rice as it steams.
