12 Essential Spices | Emeril Lagasse

The 12 essential spices that everyone should have in their pantry with some tips for using them.

12 ESSENTIAL SPICES
Here is my list of essential items. To best preserve their flavor, dried herbs and spices should be stored in a cool, dry, dark place. Even when stored correctly, herbs and spices lose their punch after a couple of months, so buy them in the smallest containers possible unless it’s something you use regularly.

Dried thyme
Dried oregano
Crushed red pepper
Cayenne pepper
Bay leaves
Paprika- sweet and/or hot and smoked paprika (also labeled “pimenton”)
Chili powder
Ground cumin
Saffron: be sure to buy threads, not pre-ground saffron
Emeril’s Original Essence or other creole seasoning
Celery salt
Ground cinnamon
Nutmeg: Buy whole nutmeg and grate it fresh (there are special nutmeg graters that will also hold the nutmeg when it’s not being used). There is no comparison between the flavor of freshly grated and pre-ground nutmeg.
Kosher salt: This is what I use when seasoning meats before browning and also when adding the final seasoning to taste, as its coarser texture gives you more control.
Fine sea salt: In my recipes, when I call for just plain “salt,” I mean fine sea salt.
Black peppercorns: Always grind pepper fresh. Pepper sold already ground or cracked lacks punch.

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, copyright Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, LP., all rights reserved.

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