What is Ras el Hanout?
Literally “top of the shop,” ras el hanout is a Moroccan spice blend that can contain more than 30 ingredients. For the Moroccan souks (spice merchants) it is a point of honour to have the most sought after version of this blend. There are stories of these spice merchants creating custom blends of ras el hanout for special clients with ingredients that might include hashish and even Spanish fly.
Our own version nixes the Spanish fly and hash but does include many traditional ingredients like cubeb pepper, long pepper, lavender and rose buds. A good ras el hanout is one of the finest examples of how well a diverse variety of spices can meld to create an ingredient that is greater than its individual components.
Ras el hanout is somewhat curry-like with a spicy kick, a floral fragrance and subtle nuances within an overall robust flavor. It is extremely versatile, adding a golden colour and an aromatic and enticing flavor to chicken and vegetable tagines. Add a half teaspoon to a cup of rice or cous cous while cooking to transend the ordinary. Our favourite is to use ras el hanout as a spice rub on lamb chops grilled on the barbeque.
To Buy Ras el Hanout
If you prefer to order ready-made Ras el Hanout you can order through the Epicentre as our Moroccan Blend.
NOTE: our Moroccan blend uses over 20 exotic spices and is reordered more than any of our other products.
Recipe for Ras el Hanout
This streamlined version includes many of the main spices of the traditional mixture.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Preparation:
In a small bowl whisk together all ingredients until combined well. Spice blend keeps in an airtight container at cool room temperature 1 month.
Recipe that use Ras el Hanout
Tagine of Marrakesh Lamb with Preserved Lemon and Ras el Hanout
Photo by Sarefo / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ras.el.hanout.jpg ..
