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Cumin Cumin is a relative new comer to our cooking lexicon. Whether ground or whole and toasted, cumin infuses a dish with a soft, round, gentle warmth. It is like a winter sun that is all the more precious because it is so unexpected. It has a warmth that is surprisingly like that of pepper but cumin has a sweetness and a hint of pale lemon as well. Cumin
is generally not a team player. It doesn’t bridge flavours, nor does
it change in the least when combined with other herbs and spices. In
fact, cumin is so outspoken and uncompromising that only a palate not
put off by such brashness would find it irresistible. Which is to say
that cumin is not easy and it definitely cannot be used with abandon. Cumin
is the seed of a spiky leaf plant that grows to about six inches tall in
India, Egypt, the southern Mediterranean and parts of Latin America. The
seed is ridged and oblong and usually parchment coloured; though I have
heard of a black variety, with a slightly more intense bitter flavour.
Cumin is often confused with caraway seeds, which in fact are curvier. Like
most pungent herbs and spices, cumin has a long medicinal history.
According to Julie Sahni in, “Savoring Spices and Herbs,” cumin is
mentioned frequently in the book of Isaiah and as a cure for colic in a
2,000-year-old Indian medical work, “Susruta Mushkakdigana”. In
cooking, cumin makes its biggest splash in the foods of India, the
Middle East and Latin America. Rare is the Mexican bean dish that
doesn’t include it. And while the spice is at its best in heavy dishes
like pork stews and curries, it would be a big mistake to limit cumin to
the heavy lifting in a dish, as it can give warmth and depth to things
as delicate as scrambled eggs or hollandaise sauce or any yogurt based
soup or dip. In
cold northern climates, cumin is used in breads and cakes and to flavour
cheese. If lightly toasted in a dry skillet, cumin becomes even more
flavourful and especially delicious tossed on sliced cucumbers, pasta,
potatoes or rice. Ground cumin also gives an extra kick to barbecue
sauce. It
is always best to buy the spice whole and then either crush it with a
mortar spice grinder shortly before using. Although its oils are strong
enough to be prized in the perfume trade, they evaporate quickly. All
that spicy complexity gone. You
can use cumin in vinaigrettes and in almost anything Mexican. It is
delicious with carrots, green peppers, peas, lentils and cabbage. It can
add zip to tomatoes or depth to tomato sauces. Chicken loves cumin; so
do such rich foods a tuna. Chilean Sea Bass and swordfish, as well as
shrimp and lobster. Perhaps because cumin is widely used in sausage, I
find a natural affinity between it and all things pork. But to me cumin
really distinguishes itself with ground meat, making the difference
between a meatloaf that is mundane and one that is truly memorable. Cumin
Baked Pork Chops Serves
4 4
8 ounce pork chops 1
teaspoon sea salt 4
teaspoons grainy Dijon mustard 2
tablespoons crushed cumin seeds 1
teaspoon cracked black pepper 1
teaspoon canola oil 1)
Preheat the oven to 450 F. Sprinkle the pork chops on both sides
with salt, and then brush each side with mustard. Rub the cumin and
pepper into the mustard. 2)
Heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add the
pork chops and brown on each side for 2 minutes. Put the skillet in the
oven and bake until the chops are just cooked through, about 12 minutes.
Divide among four plates and serve. |
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