Top of the Shop

Lynn, my fabulous friend and sporadic co-contributor here, was the one who introduced me to ras el hanout among many other gourmet treasures. It is a beautifully aromatic spice blend used across the Middle East and North Africa. In Arabic, it reportedly means "top of the shop" or "head of the shop" -- a reference to the fact that the blend is composed of a spice trader's very best merchandise. Given that explanation, it's not surprising that what goes into that blend varies depending on where you buy it. For some sellers, it's a trade secret.

The only common denominators that I've been able to find are cinnamon, cloves, and mace and/or nutmeg. The recipes I've seen also add combinations of coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek, fennel seeds, mustard seeds, Damascan rose petals or rosebuds, ginger, turmeric, salt, black pepper, white pepper, cayenne, allspice, aniseed, orrisroot, lavender, galingale, cardamom pods, etc. Having never even heard of some of these seasonings, you can see why it's easier to just buy the blend instead of making it.

Whatever the mix, ras el hanout imparts a deeply complex fragrance and flavor to dishes that call for it. My favorite application so far is to use it in a marinade/rub for roast chicken. I've also collected recipes that use it in vegetable pie, couscous with roasted vegetables, and even a spiced fruit cake.

Recently, I discovered how astonishingly well ras el hanout works with chicken livers. I've talked before about my newfound enjoyment of offal, and while "liver & onions" is a respectable pub dish, it has never been as exciting as ras el hanout, liver & onions. Making it couldn't be simpler: fry up some onions, add chopped livers, sprinkle some ras el hanout, and cook until the liver reaches a safe internal temperature of 70°C for at least 2-3 minutes. (The livers shouldn't be bloody in the centre.) I served it with some rice and a dollop of sour cream to counteract the spiciness.