Spice: Layers of Flavour

The word 'spice' should not only mean heat or quantity of chilli in a dish. Spice is a reference to the myriad of unbelievable ingredients that for centuries were one of the primary causes of war, of piracy, of exploration and of empire building. They were hunted all over the globe and sent back thousands of miles to royal courts as exotic bounties from far flung, mysterious lands. They were and are spices.

We now have these wonderful ingredients on our doorsteps, or even closer, in our spice cupboards, but we still fear them or treat them with a degree of confusion if not suspicion. In this cookbook, Dhruv will instil an understanding of the characteristics of individual spices, which will then lead to an ability to blend or fuse more and more spices to give an enhanced culinary experience with the addition of each extra layer of flavour. Some recipes will include:

Fennel and saffron butter poached lobster

Pork tenderloin fritters, achari mayonnaise

Cardamom and vodka panacotta

Cinnamon and star anise hot chocolate

Spice has the ability instantly to transport otherwise bland dishes to a monsoon of smell and taste. This is the power of spice.