five spice powder

Once you know the technique, cooking a large Muscovy duck breast is no more difficult than cooking a steak. Fragrant five-spice powder — a heady mix of Sichuan pepper, fennel, clove, star anise and cinnamon — is the perfect duck seasoning, and juicy blackberries make this a brilliant summertime dish. Muscovy duck is found at better butchers, from online sources or even at some farmers' markets. Grill the duck if you prefer, but make sure to keep dripping fat from igniting and scorching the meat. The breast meat is quite lean despite its fatty skin, so it is best cooked to a rosy medium rare or it will be dry. Serve it warm, at room temperature or cold.

Five-Spice Duck Breast With Blackberries

Muscovy duck breasts,

Salt

Chinese five-spice powder

ginger,

garlic cloves, smashed

shallot, finely diced

sherry vinegar

brown sugar

blackberries

chicken broth

Trim duck breasts as necessary, removing extraneous fat or gristle. Score the skin side of the breast diagonally with a sharp knife.

Season both sides of the duck breasts with salt, then sprinkle both sides evenly with five-spice powder. Mix together ginger and garlic and use it to slather the breasts. Cover and let marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature. (Alternatively, wrap and refrigerate for several hours, or even overnight; bring back to room temperature before cooking.)

Place a cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. When pan is hot, lay duck breast in it skin-side down. Let sizzle gently for 7 minutes, until skin is crisp and golden, adjusting heat as necessary to keep from getting too dark too quickly. Turn breast over and cook 3 to 5 minutes more. An instant-read thermometer should register 125 degrees for medium rare. Remove from pan and let rest for 10 minutes on a warm plate. Drain fat from pan (reserve for another use if you wish).

Make the sauce: Over medium heat, add shallots to same pan and cook until softened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add sherry vinegar, brown sugar and half the blackberries, stirring until sugar is dissolved and berries have released their juice. Add chicken broth, raise heat and simmer rapidly until liquid is reduced by half and a bit syrupy. Strain the contents of the skillet into a small saucepan and keep warm.

To serve, slice duck breast thinly across the grain on a diagonal and arrange on a platter. Spoon the sauce over the meat and garnish with the rest of the blackberries.

Making your own five spice powder blend allows you to cater this famous seasoning to your own tastes, and have plenty around to use in a variety of Chinese recipes!

How to Make Five Spice Powder

Chinese cassia cinnamon ((1 part))

fennel seeds ((2 parts))

Sichuan peppercorns ((1 part))

cloves ((1/3 part))

star anise ((for calculations, consider this equivalent to 1 part))

sand ginger powder ((1 part; equivalent to

Gather your cinnamon, fennel seeds, Sichuan peppercorns, cloves, star anise, and sand ginger (if using). Take any of the whole spices you have and toast them in a dry pan over low heat until fragrant.

Transfer to a blender or spice grinder, and blend all the spices into a fine powder. Store in a sealed container away from heat or light. Use within 24 months.

It&#039;s time you switched up your seder menu.

Five-Spice Braised Brisket

ginger, skin on

onions,

vegetable oil

brisket

five-spice powder

salt and pepper,

beef stock

soy sauce

hoisin sauce

garlic

star anise

cloves

cinnamon

scallions,

Rub Five-Spice Blend on Your Brisket

This slow-cooker beef recipe makes a lovely change from a stir-fry but is just as easy to prepare. 

Equipment and preparation: For this recipe, you will need an electric slow-cooker, at least 3.5 litres/6 pints in capacity. 


Slow cooker Chinese-style beef

sunflower oil

red onions, thinly sliced

root

garlic cloves, crushed

tsp dried chilli flakes

500 grams/1lb 2 ounces braising steak, trimmed, cut into 5cm/2in cubes

tsp Chinese five-spice powder

350 milliliters/12fl oz hot beef stock (made with 1 stock cube)

tbsp dark soy sauce

tsp cornflour

tbsp clear honey

black pepper

Not all asparagus dishes are delicate and subtle. Try this stir-fry to see how well the sweetness of asparagus and spicy bold flavors go together.

Wok-Fried Asparagus With Walnuts

asparagus, pencil-size

Sichuan peppercorns, peppercorns

ginger

sugar sugar

bird’s-eye chiles, thinly sliced, or use serrano or Fresno chiles

walnut halves

sesame oil

green onions, slivered

Cilantro sprigs,

Snap off and discard bottoms of asparagus, then cut into 2-inch pieces. (Halve thicker pieces lengthwise first.)

Set a wok over high heat and add vegetable oil. When oil is hot, add asparagus and season lightly with salt. Stir-fry for a minute or so, then add Sichuan pepper, five-spice powder, garlic, ginger, sugar, chiles, soy sauce and walnuts. Continue cooking over high heat for 1 to 2 minutes, tossing to coat well, until asparagus is cooked but still firm and bright green. (It will continue to cook a bit off the heat.)

Transfer asparagus to a serving platter and drizzle with sesame oil. Sprinkle green onions over the top and garnish with cilantro sprigs.

Not all ribs are baked or grilled. These are oven braised with a Vietnamese spice mixture, which makes them succulent and juicy, and very tender. You can braise them a day ahead and keep them refrigerated in their juices;  they reheat beautifully.

Vietnamese Braised Pork Ribs

shallots,

lemongrass

fish sauce (such as Red Boat)

hot chile paste (such as sambal oelek)

salt

baby back ribs

Cilantro and mint sprigs,

Make the marinade: In a small bowl, put the shallots, lemongrass, soy sauce, fish sauce, chile paste, salt, sugar, five-spice powder, garlic and ginger. Mix well.  

Put the meat in a deep baking dish or roasting pan and add marinade. Using your hands, coat ribs well. Let marinate, refrigerated, for at least 2 hours and preferably overnight, well wrapped. Bring back to room temperature before proceeding.

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Add 2 cups water to the pan, cover tightly with foil and place pan in oven. Cook for 30 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees for 1 hour more. When done, the meat should be very tender, nearly but not quite falling off the bone.  Remove cover and return to the oven for about 15 minutes until the ribs are nicely browned.

Remove ribs from pan. Pour pan juices into a saucepan and skim fat. Reduce over high heat until somewhat thickened, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, divide ribs with a sharp knife and pile them onto a platter.

Serve family style with steamed rice and pan juices. Garnish with scallions, cilantro and mint sprigs.

Chinese five-spice gives this chicken a wonderfully warm, aromatic flavour that adults and children will love

Festive golden five-spice chicken

chicken

spring onions

groundnut oil

fresh root ginger

tbsp Shaohsing rice wine

tbsp light soy sauce

3-4 tsp five spice powder

Whisk together the marinade ingredients, put the chicken into a dish, then pour over the marinade, mixing to coat. Cover, then chill for at least 20 mins, or up to a day if you have time.

Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4, and lift the chicken out of the marinade into a roasting tin. Roast for 40 mins, pour over the remaining marinade, then cook for a further 30 mins until golden and sticky. Sprinkle with the spring onion, then serve.

Looking for a dish to bring to a party ? Try this incredibly delicious five-spice fried chicken recipe. It's easy to prepare and cooks quickly. Whip up a batch and be a hero.

Vietnamese Five-Spice Fried Chicken Wings (Cánh Gà Chiên Ngũ Vị Hương)

lbs chicken wings

sea salt

sugar

chicken bouillon powder

egg (beaten)

corn starch

Vegetable oil (for frying)

Marinate

In a large bowl, marinate chicken wings with salt, sugar, chicken bouillon powder, ground black pepper, and five-spice powder for at least one hour. For better results, marinate overnight in the fridge.

Prepare oil

 In a large skillet, pour vegetable oil until it&#8217;s 1 inch high and heat it to 375°F or until a drop of corn starch starts to sizzle in the oil.

Lightly batter

Add beaten egg to the chicken mixture and toss until evenly coated. Then add corn starch and toss until the chicken is lightly battered.

Deep fry

Carefully lower chicken wings into the hot oil. Do this in batches to prevent overcrowding. Fry for about 10 minutes per batch. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate or wire rack to drain off excess oil and serve.

This sweet potato soup is both fresh and hearty, with layers of flavors and textures throughout. The sweet potato brings an autumnal warmth, brightened by handfuls of fresh herbs and a squeeze of lemon juice added just before serving. Feel free to swap the sweet potato for pumpkin or any winter squash — this soup is versatile — and use small pasta shapes like orzo if you don’t have bulgur on hand. The topping and soup can be cooked a day in advance, but you’ll want to add the herbs and lemon juice when ready to serve in order to optimize their bright notes.

Herby Sweet Potato Soup With Peanuts

olive oil

cumin seeds

yellow onion, finely chopped

garlic cloves, finely grated

Fine sea salt and black pepper

sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/4-inch pieces

bulgur

stock

parsley

cilantro

dill

Aleppo pepper flakes red pepper

peanuts,

lemon, halved

NYT Cooking

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In a medium saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil and the cumin over medium-high for 2 minutes, until the cumin is toasted and fragrant. Reduce the heat to medium, add the chopped onions, about two-thirds of the garlic, 2 teaspoons salt and a good crack of pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent and slightly softened. 

Add the sweet potatoes and cook for 4 minutes, stirring from time to time, until lightly caramelized but not yet cooked through. Add the five-spice and cook for 1 minute, just until it starts to stick to the pan, then add the bulgur, stock and 4 1/4 cups water. Bring to the boil, then cook for 15 minutes, undisturbed, until the sweet potatoes have softened and the bulgur is cooked through. 

Stir in the parsley, cilantro and dill, and cook for 1 minute more, then remove the pan from the heat. 

Make the peanut topping: Set the pepper flakes, sugar and the remaining garlic in a small heatproof bowl. Place the peanuts and the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in a small pan over medium-high heat. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, just until the peanuts start to turn golden brown, then pour the peanuts and oil over the chile-garlic mixture. Stir to combine, then, once the mixture is slightly cooled, add the sesame oil. 

When ready to serve, season the soup with 4 teaspoons lemon juice from 1 lemon half, then ladle the soup into individual bowls. Spoon over the peanut topping, grate lemon zest from the remaining lemon over the top of each bowl and serve.

This soup was unusual and nothing like anything I've ever cooked before. I did half bulgher and half lentils, which I cooked and added at the end. Really enjoyed the end result but every component felt necessary to me.

So good! I cut the potatoes a tad smaller based on comments, but I probably won't next time. They also didn't have time to caramelize (for me) but soup was delicious nonetheless. And the topping is a must. What a delicious combo of flavors.

This needs the spices DOUBLED. Also add a stick of cinnamon for 10 minutes. The dish has so much potential but under the amounts of spices prescribed the only think with flavor is the peanut chili mix

Very flexible recipe. Skipped making the topping and used chili crisp and dry roasted peanuts. It was great!

I've made this soup numerous times for various people, and everyone loves it.  I add the cooked bulgur at the end as suggested by other reviewers, and that works very well.  Fresh herbs are delicious in it.

I made a batch of this "soup," following the recipe exactly, set it aside, went for a walk, and came back to a big pot of....wallpaper paste. Unattractive wallpaper paste. Nothing like the photo accompanying the recipe. It tasted okay and the peanut mix was popping, but I wouldn't serve this to anyone. It's too ugly.

Despite having enjoyed tons of NYT recipes, this is the first time I’ve felt compelled to leave a review. I made this recipe as written except for a slightly shorter cook time on the bulgur because I wanted more of a soup than stew, and I am blown away by the depth and complexity of flavors this simple recipe builds. It’s warm, satisfying, and just down right delicious.

I made this for a dinner party and it was a hit. The Recipe came together quicker than I expected. I was really blown away by the delicious flavor. You cannot skip on the peanut topping. It takes this dish to a whole other level.

Made this with a few subs. Used a garlic sesame spice mix in place of five spice. I just couldn't find it, so I made due. I used black rice in place of the bulgar because I was making it for a gluten free friend. Also, didn't use sugar because same friend can't have sugar. 

My friends LOVED it. The lemon really makes the dish. Brightens all things up. Also, the rice soaked up alllllllll the broth, so it was more of a thick stew than a soup.

This is a great weeknight recipe with less chopping than a typical soup, since the base has no carrots or celery. Rich and complex as written, or a flexible and forgiving base recipe from which to improvise! I’ve omitted the herbs and peanut topping: still good. Subbed honeynut or butternut for sweet potato. Added turkey or various greens. It always works because the five-spice and cumin is such a perfect combo.

So good! Made with quinoa instead of bulgar. Lots of varying flavors and it hits all the notes. Will definitely be making it again!

Possibly the worst thing I have ever made.  The onion, bulghar and sweet potatoes just dissolve into a gray mush.  The herbs are lost in the sludge.  The only flavor or texture comes from the peanuts, which are very good.

Made this for Poni and Mel.  Omitted onions and garlic but it still turned out well!  Used most/all of the 5-spice called for, maybe a 1/4-1/8 of the Aleppo.  Made 1.5x and I would say it’s right for 4 people.
I subbed 2/3 of the bulgar with quinoa and 1/3 with lentils (gf plus extra protein.  Also threw in some chopped kale leaves.

Added some chopped kale which added nutrients and interest. We love this dish.

The peanut topping is unusual and in my opinion is the best part. I will double the quantity of the topping next time I make this. My boyfriend who does not like sweet potatoes loved this soup!  I've made it twice - once with orzo and once with bulgar, and we both liked it much more with the orzo.

I read these comments as I sit eating a bowl of ghee fried apples, basking in the sweetness of everyone’s experiences and the goodwill it takes to leave a positive comment. These comments are a daily stress reducer.

Incomprehensible to me that a veteran chef calls for bulghar to be ready in texture at the same time as ANYTHING, let alone sweet potato, that may lose flavor fall and fall apart. 

Veteran soup maker here advises: If texture of bulghar (or orzo or….) matters, cook it separately and add it, warm, at the end.

Aside from substituting butternut squash for the sweet potato, I followed the recipe to the letter. OMG!! My hubs said it was the “best thing I ever made” and it’s all he ever wants to eat— high praise indeed! I used a pastry cutter to chop up the squash a little, next time (and there WILL be a next time!) I’ll cut cut the squash into smaller pieces. Really amazing—I’m considering making it the first course for our T-Day dinner.

Do NOT buy pine nuts from Asia, particularly China -- pine nut gatherers / poachers are stripping the forests (as well as trampling them), leaving them barren. The result: wildlife that depend on pine nuts to survive winter are starving and, in some cases, becoming endangered. Buy US or Italian pine nuts. Yes, more expensive, but you'll be doing a good thing for wildlife and maintaining planet health / biodiversity. And pine nuts from Asia have a gross lingering metallic taste.

What would you consider a medium sweet potato? The ones in the grocery are enormous. How much do we think a medium sweet potato weighs?

Made a few substitutions just because of what I had on hand (cashews instead of peanuts, omitted 5 spice as I didn’t have it, herbs were reduced to just parsley as it was all that was in the garden) and also substituted quinoa for bulgur to make it gluten free. Very yummy. Will try it without substituting anything except the bulgur next time.

I left the skins on, personal choice. Reduced the liquid by a half cup to get more of a stew result. Absolutely LOVED this dish and so thankful for it being shared. My kitchen smells warm and vibrant at the same time with the blend of all the flavors in this soup. This will be a go to comfort food all winter.

After skiimming the recipe in the morning, this soup recipe dogged me through a busy  afternoon. I arrived home six hours later, cold, wet, and extremely hungry, so I set to work. Completely forgot about the bulgar. Used a dollop of frozen pesto instead of fresh herbs. No lemon or red pepper flakes bc of acid reflex flare up. Ate two bowls alone, listening to the rain pelt the sidewalk. Will make it again this week with the bulgar bc I'm still thinking of it. Delicious.

This was wonderful! I made it with farro, half the salt and no dill; otherwise stuck to the recipe and was very happy with the result.  It has a lovely, complex blend of flavors and the comfort of a good fall stew.  I highly recommend!

Nice soup! We used pistachio, pecan, and almond mix instead of peanuts. This worked great. The greens, red pepper and lemon are absolutely essential

Made this tonight for dinner (which I ate with my husband and adult daughter, so I would argue that it's great to eat with others, not just by oneself!).  Only change I made was to substitute Ras el Hanout for the five spice powder, which I didn't have.  Next time I think I will cut back the olive oil to a total of 4-5 tablespoons because I found it a bit too oily.  Otherwise, it was delicious -- a perfect soup for a cold rainy evening!

I feel like carrots might be a better substitute than white potatoes, because carrots have a similar sweetness to sweet potatoes. How do you feel about carrots?

T Joe's sells quick-cooking farro (10 mins).  Regular farro would take longer than bulgur.  My pkg of "whole grain bulgur wheat" has instructions to cook for 10 mins, then cover and rest 5.  Prof. Google says bulgur has been pre-cooked (parboiled), so perhaps (responding now to DemostiX) the recipe's timing is Not off with respect to bulgur & sweet potatoes.  Maybe you were thinking of cracked wheat, which has not been pre-cooked?  Other notes would indicate the recipe works well as written.

If I need to prepare gluten free pasta separately, do I omit the 4 1/2 cups water and use only broth in making the soup?

Made substitutions due to what I had available (pesto oil for herbs, farro for bulgur, chili oil w peanuts for topping) and this was magical. Would definitely try again with or without substitutions.

Top 9 five spice powder recipes from across the web

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Top 9 five spice powder recipes from across the web

The most viewed five spice powder recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Five-Spice Duck Breast With Blackbe...

How to Make Five Spice Powder

Five-Spice Braised Brisket

Slow cooker Chinese-style beef

Wok-Fried Asparagus With Walnuts

Vietnamese Braised Pork Ribs

Festive golden five-spice chicken

Vietnamese Five-Spice Fried Chicken...

Herby Sweet Potato Soup With Peanut...

The most viewed five spice powder recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine