Bäco's Berberé

MAKES ABOUT 2/3 CUP [80 G] This is not a traditional version of the East African spice blend berberé. My inspiration has always been the mix of dried chiles with my favorite spices. And there are a lot of spices here, but the resulting depth of flavor is worth the small effort of toasting and grinding them. I use berberé (pictured on facing page, center) a lot—in chicken liver mousse, tomato sauce, and homemade sausages, and as a rub for chicken, pork, and lamb. It’s great with beans and lentils. Sprinkle it on scrambled eggs or on toast smeared with butter or fresh farmer cheese. NOTE: You can substitute Aleppo pepper with any coarsely ground, mildly spicy dried chile, such as New Mexico chiles, urfa biber, or cascabel.

Great

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Toast the cumin, caraway, cardamom, and coriander seeds in a small, dry frying pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl.

Step 2

Toast the cubeb pepper, allspice, and cloves in the same frying pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Step 3

Grind the toasted spices to a coarse powder in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle. Return the ground spices to the bowl. Add the fenugreek leaves, Aleppo pepper, paprika, ginger, turmeric, salt, and cinnamon to the bowl of spices. Mix together. Store in a covered container in a cool, dry place for up to 1 month, or freeze in an airtight container for several months.

Step 4

You can substitute Aleppo pepper with any coarsely ground, mildly spicy dried chile, such as New Mexico chiles, urfa biber, or cascabel.