To Add or Not to Add

A common question I get, even from kitchen veterans, is how much spice and herb should I use in my cooking?

The general, unhelpful answer is, it depends. It does, in part, come down to personal taste and the dish you are cooking. However, there are some general guidelines to follow when spicing up that dish.

First, remember that herbs and spices are meant to bring out the flavor of food, not overpower it. This is often ignored, especially when using meat that was frozen. Sometimes people fall in love with an herb and load up their dish so that the rosemary chicken becomes chicken rosemary. There is always room for personal taste, but if you aren't just cooking for yourself, it is best not to get loose with that shaker.

If you are trying a recipe for the first time or inventing your own, it is best to be modest with your use of spices. Another general rule when measuring spices is fresh herbs are not as potent as dried herbs. In general, one teaspoon of dry is equal to one tablespoon of fresh.

Secondly, it matters when you add the herbs and spices. If you are using whole herbs, put them in at the start since whole spices take longer to release their flavors. These are commonly used in soups and stews. Be advised though, it is best to use a tea ball or some other device to contain the herbs in order to more easily remove them when you are done cooking. I have yet to meet someone who enjoyed biting into a bay leaf with his or her soup.

If you are using chopped or ground herbs, these can typically be added in the last 15 minutes or so of cooking. Unlike whole herbs, it does not take as long for the flavor to come out of chopped herbs. If you are serving a cold dish, add the herbs about an hour beore serving so the flavor can seep in. Steaks and other BBQ meats should have a couple hours with the spices to get to know one another before cooking.

Those are the main rules. Otherwise, have fun and experiment. And just to have some fun, and confuse everyone, here is a great recipe for tuna where you add cilantro at the beginning, the middle, and the end!

Enjoy!
Betty



Pan-seared Tuna with Avocado, Soy, Ginger and Lime*

2 big handfuls fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1/2 jalapeno, sliced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, grated
2 limes, juiced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Pinch sugar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 (6-ounce) block sushi-quality tuna
1 ripe avocado, halved, peeled, pitted, and sliced

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the cilantro, jalapeno, ginger, garlic, lime juice, soy sauce, sugar, salt, pepper, and two tablespoons of olive oil.


2. Stir the ingredients together until well incorporated.


3. Place a skillet over medium-high heat and coat with the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil.


4. Season the tuna generously with salt and pepper.


5. Lay the tuna in the hot oil and sear for 1 minute on each side to form a slight crust.


6. Pour 1/2 of the cilantro mixture into the pan to coat the fish.


7. Serve the seared tuna with the sliced avocado and the remaining cilantro sauce drizzled over the whole plate.

*Recipe courtesy of the Food Network's Tyler Florence.