Name: Five-Spice Powder
Total time: 10 min
Yield: Makes about ¼ cup
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 5 teaspoons fennel seeds; 4 teaspoons white peppercorns or 8 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns; 1 tablespoon whole cloves; 8 star anise pods; 1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick, broken into pieces

Why This Recipe Works

In traditional Chinese cooking, the five elements of the cosmos—earth, fire, metal, water, and wood—are represented by five-spice powder. Five-spice powder has a kick that offsets richness in both sweet and savory recipes. To make our version, we ground woodsy fennel seeds and earthy star anise with sweet cinnamon and cloves. Peppercorns (either white or Sichuan) gave the mix an understated spicy finish.

Before You Begin

Cloves and star anise can melt or dissolve plastic, so store this blend in a glass container.

Instructions

Process fennel seeds, peppercorns, and cloves in spice grinder until finely ground, about 30 seconds; transfer to small bowl. Process star anise and cinnamon stick in now-empty grinder until finely ground, about 30 seconds; transfer to bowl with fennel mixture and stir to combine.

how to use

Rub on chicken breasts before searing; shake into whiskey sour; sauté with kale; use in mulled cider