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Spice Rub for Oily Fish

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on August 21, 2007

Time

20 minutes

Yield

Makes 1 cup

Spice Rub for Oily Fish

Ingredients

¼ cup fennel seed ¼ cup coriander seed (crushed)¼ cup white peppercorns 10 whole cloves 6 star anise

Before You Begin

Rub this aromatic mixture onto salmon, mackerel, or bluefish fillets. Rub keeps for up to 6 weeks if tightly covered and stored in a cool, dark place.

Instructions

  1. Toast fennel, coriander, and peppercorns over medium heat in small skillet, shaking occasionally to prevent burning, until first wisps of smoke appear, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cool to room temperature, then mix with remaining ingredients.
  2. Grind to powder in spice grinder or with mortar and pestle.
Spice Rub for Oily Fish

Spice Rub for Oily Fish

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

20 minutes

Yield

Makes 1 cup

Ingredients

¼ cup fennel seed
¼ cup coriander seed (crushed)
¼ cup white peppercorns
10 whole cloves
6 star anise

Ingredients

¼ cup fennel seed
¼ cup coriander seed (crushed)
¼ cup white peppercorns
10 whole cloves
6 star anise

Ingredients

¼ cup fennel seed
¼ cup coriander seed (crushed)
¼ cup white peppercorns
10 whole cloves
6 star anise

Why This Recipe Works

We wanted to figure out how to develop spice rub recipes tailored to particular foods and cuts of meat. First, we had to take into account the size of the food item to be cooked and make the rub stronger or lighter accordingly. Second, we had to match strength to strength in terms of taste—that is, we used earthier spices for meat, lighter ones for fish and chicken. We also categorized our spices: Cumin and coriander, for example, are good "bulk" spices for rubs while aromatic spices like cloves and cinnamon need to be used lightly in our spice rub recipes.

Before You Begin

Rub this aromatic mixture onto salmon, mackerel, or bluefish fillets. Rub keeps for up to 6 weeks if tightly covered and stored in a cool, dark place.

Instructions

  1. Toast fennel, coriander, and peppercorns over medium heat in small skillet, shaking occasionally to prevent burning, until first wisps of smoke appear, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cool to room temperature, then mix with remaining ingredients.
  2. Grind to powder in spice grinder or with mortar and pestle.

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