Chinese Five Spice is a really handy item to keep in your pantry because its warm, sweet and spicy flavor enhances both savory and dessert dishes. Five Spice’s composition of cassia cinnamon, star anise, fennel, cloves and ginger (or sometimes Szechuan peppercorns in place of ginger) is based on the traditional Chinese philosophy of balancing yin and yang in food because those spices represent the full spectrum of flavor- sweet, sour, salty, bitter, spicy. Personally, I don’t pick up on the salty, sour or bitter flavors that are supposedly present in Five Spice but who am I to argue with ancient Chinese philosophy? All I know is that it tastes fantastic, especially when mixed with a little citrus and fresh ginger to brighten the flavor.
I often pair this marinade with flank steak or london broil but it also works well with chicken and pork. For best results, marinate about two pounds of meat (that’s usually enough for four people with some left over) for at least 24 hours to really allow the flavors to penetrate. Or, instead of a marinade, use this recipe as a glaze and brush onto pan-seared or grilled salmon or tuna toward the end of the cooking time.
GINGER FIVE SPICE MARINADE
Whisk together:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup orange marmalade
2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or sesame oil
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
2 teaspoons Chinese Five Spice
If you’re using the recipe as a glaze, use only 1 teaspoon of oil and cut the remaining ingredients in half because you won’t need as much.
Revel & Feast 