Chinese Five-Spice
Star anise, Sichuan pepper, fennel, cinnamon and clove
Built to cover the five flavours, and star anise dominates by design. Sichuan peppercorns are what make it tingle; without them it is a sweeter, flatter blend.
Use it sparingly — it is assertive and easily takes over a dish.
Ingredients
- 8 whole star anise
- 2 tablespoons Sichuan peppercorns
- 2 tablespoons fennel seeds
- 2 cinnamon sticks (cassia if you have it), broken
- 2 teaspoons whole cloves
Instructions
- Toast all the spices in a dry pan over medium heat, shaking, until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
- Cool completely.
- Grind to a fine powder — star anise is woody, so you may need to sieve and regrind the coarse bits.
- Store airtight.
Notes
- Sichuan peppercorns should be sifted of their black seeds, which are gritty and add nothing.
- Good in a marinade for pork belly or duck, or mixed with salt as a dip.