The Spices You Should Really Be Toasting, According To Wolfgang Puck
In his October 2022 MasterClass, celebrity chef and restaurateur Wolfgang Puck explains that he likes to toast certain spices. To many people, this might sound like an arbitrary step in the process: added labor on top of chopping, cooking, and cleaning. However, there are several reasons you should toast spices.
For one, many home cooks just don't splurge on their spices; the little bottles in the pantry don't get the same treatment as charismatic indulgences like wagyu steak. Southern Living explains that production issues and retailer markups often lead to high seasoning prices, but opting for cheap spices may mean sacrificing quality. And yet, you put spices in just about everything you make, so why not lend them a hand?
Also, toasting spices is a common practice in world cuisine. MexConnect explains that various dried peppers are toasted and soaked before being added to recipes. NPR also reports of the Indian tempering technique, tadka, in which whole spices are lightly cooked in hot ghee or oil to release their flavor before being added to the dish, fat and all. In a more general sense, toasting also might just be what your spice blends are missing. You'll often see Japanese furikake and Middle Eastern za'atar recipes call for toasted sesame seeds for improved flavor and texture.
Notably, Puck believes that certain spices are more important to toast than others. So, which spices is Chef Puck toasting?
Toast whole spices before adding them
In his MasterClass, Wolfgang Puck explains that he specifically instructs his chefs to toast whole spices like peppercorns, cumin, and coriander seeds in the oven. The reason that Puck insists this be done is that the practice allows the spices to release a bit more oil and "become even more fragrant." For example, Puck's Catalonian fire-roasted lamb rack (via HSN) calls for roasted ancho chilis and toasted cumin and coriander. You can also put the technique to work in his pepper steak with red wine recipe — just toast the peppercorns before crushing them.
Like with any other culinary instruction, there is more than one way to accomplish this task. Specifically, spice purveyor Rumi names three ways to toast spices. First, you could simply dry toast the spices on a stovetop. That is perhaps the most obvious way to accomplish the task, but other options include oven roasting and oil tempering. Of course, all you need is heat and a vessel. If you opt for the first option, Great British Chefs explains that you can simply heat a frying pan over medium heat, add your spices in an even layer, and shake the pan lightly as they toast — just be careful not to let your spices burn.
They're done once they begin to pop and start smelling awesome. Great British Chefs also suggests grinding your spices yourself after toasting, but if you must use ground spices, Brewing Happiness recommends a very quick cook — about 30 seconds in a dry pan. Of course, you'll also want to let them cool before you begin handling them.
How to use toasted spices
Once you've gotten into the happy habit of toasting your spices like Wolfgang Puck, you can handily purchase his One-Button Touch spice mills to make grinding your toasted spices fun and easy. You can always begin by bumping up your spice blends and mixes or reviving stale spices in the back of the cabinet.
Whole spices worth toasting include peppercorns, fennel and fenugreek seeds, black cumin (nigella), cloves, allspice berries, and juniper berries. Dried chiles or crushed red pepper can be toasted, too, as can nuts and seeds. Apply toasted spices to seared meats as NPR suggests (with juniper berries!), or even to vegetables — Bobby Flay loves a good vegetable spice rub, and we all know he likes playing with fire. Priyanka Naik's got a toasted spice marinade she puts on potatoes, eggplant, zucchini, and bell peppers.
Might we also suggest Christopher Kimball's roasted sweet potatoes with toasted spices and cilantro, or pan-roasted carrots with toasted spices? Elevate everything bagel seasoning and top avocados with it, or make Ree Drummond's crispy everything bagel chicken cutlets even dreamier. These are only suggestions, of course — now that you know how to toast spices Wolfgang Puck-style, you'll be able to extract the most potential from your ingredients and become a seasoned cook.