The Spice Shop

Green Peppercorns, 35g
Unit price: £2.99 (approx. €3.35)
Unit price (tin): £4.95 (approx. €5.54)
Shipping Weight: 35g

South American green pepper. Freeze dried. Great for steak sauces, dips and dressings.

Recipe: For a steak sauce: after frying your steak, add a good lump of butter to the pan. When melted, add a couple of teaspoons of green peppercorns and a chopped clove of garlic. Fry gently, then add 1 tbsp of good brandy, 2 tsp wholegrain mustard and 100 ml single cream. Let the sauce bubble up, then pour it over the steak.

This product is also available pre-packaged in a handy Spice Shop Tin, imprinted with the name of the spice, and with a recipe on the back.

Curry Basic mix

Dry roast the spices in a frying pan, cool and grind. Fry onion, ginger and garlig in a little oil. Add the spices, 1 tsp/person, and fry a couple of minutes. Add meat or vegetables and stock. Bring to the boil, lower heat and cook until the meat or veg are tender. Check seasoning - you may want to add salt. Serve with rice.

Chilli con Carne mix

Brown onions and minced beef in oil, add water, soaked beans, and spice (1 teaspoon per person - make sure some bay leaves make it into the pot), chopped tomatoes, and cook until done. Make a huge pot to last you a week, as it gets better with time. I normally add some chillies as well.

Mirin

Mix mirin with soya sauce and sake to make teryaki sauce. Pan-fry a salmon fillet until almost done, discard oil. Pour teryaki sauce into the frying pan over the salmon and fry on high heat for another 3 minutes, turning the fillet over to cover it with sauce. Remove as the sauce reduces and begins to carmelize, but before it burns!

Ajowan - Carom - Kings Cumin

East African chicken soup is awesome with ajowan! Brown some onions and crushed peanuts or cashews in oil, add chopped up chicken leg - skin bones and all, they add to the flavor - brown on all sides, cover with water and cook with cumin and ajowan seeds until done; finish by stirring in a can of coconut milk. The ajowan balances out the sweetness of nuts and milk; really good quick soup.