Cumin is a spice I would hate to be without, especially at this time of year, when its fennel-crossed-with-citrus-zest-with-a-hint-of-burnt-toast savour stimulates andcomforts in equal measure. Itswarm, orangey, woody notes canbe a little addictive, however: the more you cook with it, the more you hanker for its defining touch.
Cumin is perhaps most familiar tous as a curry spice, known in India as jeera, and is crucial in countless masalas and spice mixes, but it's also central to north African and Middle Eastern cooking. Yet this is not aspice to be pigeonholed – it's far too useful for that. Combining the seasoning action of black pepper with an assertive whack of flavour, cumin finds its way into many of the dishes I cook these days: homemade hummus and dips, of which I am inordinately fond, nearly always get a pinch, as do countless veg soups.
When I'm engaged in a bit of raid-the-fridge cookery, the bits and pieces I use are frequently brought together with a hint of spice – and that spice is often cumin. Roasted roots such as beetroot and parsnip, pumpkins and squashes, be they whizzed into impromptu soups or chucked into chunky salads, benefit from a kiss of this enlivening seed, and it'sa real winner with fried orroasted aubergine, too.
Although cumin can be a star in its own right, it also mingles very well with other spices (not to mention with garlic, chilli and citrus) and is important in many classic mixes. You'll find it in the seasoning for spicy north African merguez sausages, for instance. I've had a lot of success using a merguez-inspired, cumin-rich spice blend in other recipes; not just meaty ones, such asthis week's kofte, but bean- and vegetable-based dishes as well. It'salso essential in harissa, the fiery Tunisian paste that takes couscous from bland to bling in a second, andis also excellent in rice salads, orstirred into yogurt and dolloped on soups, roast chicken or burgers.
You can buy cumin ready-ground, but I prefer buying the seeds whole, not least as these little striped torpedoes of flavour are easily crushed or ground, and give a much richer, rounder note. I always toast them lightly first, too: a mere minute in a hot, dry pan activates their incredible essential oils and makes them all the more delicious.
Merguez kofte with seasoned yoghurt
If it all possible, mince the lamb and beef yourself – ready-made mince is usually too fine and not fatty enough for really good kofte. Failing that, blitz it briefly in a food processor, keeping it reasonably coarse. You'll need six skewers for this. Serves six.
1kg boned-out lamb shoulder, fat still attached, fairly coarsely minced
400g minced beef (not lean), quite coarsely minced
3 tbsp poppy seeds
3 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tbsp olive oil
For the merguez seasoning
2 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
2 tbsp sweet paprika
1 tbsp harissa paste
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
1 tsp sumac (optional)
For the seasoned yoghurt
1 tbsp cumin seeds
200g thick, plain yoghurt
½ small clove garlic, crushed
Finely grated zest of 1 small lemon
1 small bunch coriander, leaves picked and finely chopped
For the spice mix, heat a dry frying pan over medium heat. Add the fennel, cumin and coriander seeds, toast until fragrant – about a minute – then pound with a pestle and mortar until fine. In a bowl, mix with the other seasoning ingredients. Add the minced meat and combine with your hands. Cover and refrigerate overnight for the flavours to develop. Next day, break off awalnut-sized piece and fry it until cooked through. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.
For the yoghurt, dry-fry the cumin in a frying pan until just fragrant, then grind coarsely with a pestle and mortar. Combine with the rest of the ingredients and set aside.
Divide the merguez mixture into six and mould each portion firmly around a skewer in a sausage shape. (If using wooden skewers, cover the exposed ends with foil before cooking.) Mix the poppy and sesame seeds on a plate and roll each kofte in the seeds until well coated.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and fry the kofte until they're cooked through and the seed coating is crisp and golden – about 10 minutes. Serve with the yoghurt and a crisp, green salad.
Other things to do with the merguez seasoning mix:
A tablespoon, warmed gently in olive oil, makes a great dressing for chickpeas and other tinned pulses – add these to a salad, stuff in a pitta or toss with roasted vegetables.
Add to a simple vegetable soup, such as leek and potato or roasted parsnip; or add to sweating onions or leeks at the start of cooking, then add another pinch just before serving.
Use the spiced meat mix to make meatballs, fried and added to awarm salad, perhaps with roasted root vegetables or couscous.
The meat mix makes a great filling for pasties or filo parcels; combine with diced potato or sweet potato.
Cheese soup with cumin
A cross between a hearty soup and a fondue, this rich, spiced concoction will keep the cold at bay. Serves four.
30g butter
3 large onions, chopped
1 bay leaf
Sea salt and freshly ground blackpepper
1 celery stick, de-stringed andchopped
1 carrot, chopped
1½ tsp cumin seeds
150ml dry white wine
700ml chicken stock
500ml milk
200g potato, peeled and chopped
250g emmental, grated
A squeeze of lemon juice
4 slices baguette
Melt the butter over medium heat in a heavy-based saucepan. When it stops foaming, add the onions, bay leaf and a good pinch of salt. Sauté gently for 40 minutes, stirring now and again, until the onions are a rich, golden amber. Stir in the celery, carrot and a teaspoon of cumin seeds, and sauté for five minutes. Add the wine and let it bubble until almost evaporated. Increase the heat, add the stock and milk, bring to a simmer and add the potato. Cook until the potato is tender, about 10 minutes, remove the bay, then blend until very smooth in a food processor or with a stick blender.
Return to the pan, bring to asimmer and bit by bit add 200g of the cheese, stirring, until it is melted and the soup is smooth. Stir in asqueeze of lemon juice. Taste and season if necessary. Keep the soup warm, butdo not let it boil.
Toast the remaining cumin in adry frying pan over medium-low heat until fragrant; grind until fine and mix with the remaining cheese. Place a slice of toasted baguette on top of each serving of soup, scatter with the cumin/cheese mix and grill until bubbling; or scatter the mix over the bread, toast until golden, then place in the soup. Serve at once.
Cumin cookies
The hint of lemon in these richly spiced, slightly chewy biscuits balances the warmth of the cumin. Makes about 24.
1 tbsp cumin seeds
125g unsalted butter, softened
125g caster sugar
Grated zest of 1 lemon
175g plain flour
Pinch of salt
A little milk
Put the cumin in a dry frying pan on medium heat and toast, tossing, for two minutes, until fragrant – don't let them burn – then leave to cool.
Put half the seeds in a bowl with the butter, sugar and lemon zest, and cream together until light and fluffy. Work the flour and salt into the butter mix with a fork, then add just enough milk – atablespoon or so – to bring it together into a dough. With your hands, form into a ball, wrap in clingfilm and chill for 30 minutes.
Heat the oven to 170C/335F/gas mark 3 and grease two oven trays, or line them with parchment. Break the dough into walnut-sized pieces, roll each into a ball, then squash into little cakes about 1.5cm deep. Place on the trays, leaving some room for spreading, and top with the reserved cumin seeds. Bake for 15-20 minutes until just golden. Leave to cool on a rack (they'll firm up as they cool) .
