Ras el hanout

Ras el hanout is a spice blend from North Africa, especially Morocco. The name means "head of the shop" in Arabic, meaning the best mix a spice seller has to offer. There is no fixed recipe. A blend may have anything from a dozen to thirty spices, usually cumin, coriander, cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, paprika, black pepper, allspice, cardamom and nutmeg, and sometimes dried rose petals. It is warm, fragrant and gently sweet rather than hot.

How to use it

• Rub 1 to 2 tablespoons with oil, salt and garlic over a whole chicken or a leg of lamb before roasting.
• Fry 1 to 2 teaspoons in oil with the onions at the start of a tagine, stew or soup to bring out the flavor.
• Toss carrots, squash or chickpeas with it and oil before roasting.
• Stir a little into couscous, rice, yogurt sauces or burger and meatball mixtures.

It pairs well with preserved lemon, dried fruit, honey and harissa, which can add the heat it does not have.

Substitutes

To make a simple version, mix 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 2 teaspoons ground coriander, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon turmeric, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon ground allspice and ¼ teaspoon ground cloves. This makes about 3 tablespoons.

If you need something from the cupboard right away, garam masala with a pinch of extra cinnamon and turmeric is close. So is a mix of equal parts cumin, coriander and cinnamon.

How to store it

Keep it in an airtight jar in a cool, dark cupboard. Like all ground spice blends, it is best within about six months. If it has lost its smell, it has lost its taste too.

Common mistakes

• Adding it to a dry, very hot pan. Ground spices burn in seconds and turn bitter. Fry them in oil over medium heat.
• Treating every jar as the same. Some blends are mild and sweet, others are full of pepper or ginger. Smell and taste yours and adjust the amount.
• Expecting saffron. It appears in some expensive blends, but most use turmeric for color instead.