Timing the spices

[thebitterguy]

Just a quick question on timing adding spices. I'm making chicken ala king tonight, and I usually add a couple dashes of chipotle powder near the end of the cooking cycle.

Tonight, I added it to the onions, rice and cumin at the beginning, before I added the soup or chicken. Does the timing of spices make a difference? Or what you add it to?

Thanks!

Comments

[rodshark.livejournal.com]

Well, for wet-based cooking methods (like braising, stewing, steaming) I tend to add spices during the cooking so that the spices can seep into the food and give it deep flavor as it cooks.

For dry-based cooking methods like frying and deep frying I add them after since a lot of spices burn and get nasty if added to the dish during cooking.

the rule of thumb I almost always go by is that earlier you add herbs and/or spices, the more it permeates and becomes part of the dish.

The later you add herbs and spices, the more intense their (spices) flavor is. So if you want a subtle taste, some flavoring early on is best. If you want dense, rich, packed flavor, a lot in the beginning and a little more at the end. And for a definite "spice" taste, add spices mostly at the end.

A lot of when you add spices is based of of what type of spice it is.

Just my thoughts anyway.

My rule of thumb

[absinthe-dot-ca.livejournal.com]

Add dried herbs etc. near the beginning so they can rehydrate, fresh herbs and salt at the end...

[greenlion.livejournal.com]

I've heard that marjoram particularly has to go in toward the end of cooking, less so with oregano. With leaf spices I usually double-check toward the end of cooking and add if necessary. Pepper spices go in first, with the onions and garlic. In my kitchen anyway.

[jkahane.livejournal.com]

There are different rules of thumb for different types of cooking, Justin. For the chicken a la king, if you were sauteeing the onions and rice, then yes, adding the cumin at that point works fine. If, on the other hand, you were cooking the rice with the onions in it proper, then adding the cumin should be done after adding the soup and stuff.

Different strokes and all that. :)