Star Anise: a new flavor from an ancient land

[andiesenji]

Here is some detailed information about the spice.

Be sure that you use only Chinese star anise for culinary purposes. The Japanese variety has been known to produce toxic reactions. There was an FDA warning about teas containing star anise a couple of years ago and all the incidents were traced to Japanese star anise which is not supposed to be used for culinary purposes.

I will see if I can find the reference and will post it.

There are several commercial tea mixtures that include star anise. As the spice is left whole in these mixtures, it is not overpowering, as it would be if crushed or ground.

Good news about star anise.

and some more recipe/suggestions.

Edited February 1, 2006 by andiesenji (log)

[fifi]

Wowser, andiesenji. That good news link is really good news. And it is actually from a rather reputable source, National Geographic. Who knew that it had any relationship to Tamiflu?

Is this a good excuse for me to make some clay pot pork and other goodies?

I just added some to my mug of herbal tea.

[Anna N]

Melissa, your query prompted me to enter a recipe for Dottie's Chicken into RecipeGullet.

I also remember having a star anise sorbet somewhere within the last two years.  It was wonderful.  But, I most associate it with savory dishes.

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Had a look at the recipe and wonder if you can edit it to show quantities - 1/2 soy - is that 1/2 cup? Similarly with other ingredients - the quantity is there but the unit is missing - no doubt a slip of the finger typo! I have them all the time.

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Recipe fixed. I should know better than to try to do this when the kids are walking in the door after school...

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[greenwich st]

There is a cream of carrot/star anise soup recipe in recipegullet. (I don't know how to link this, sorry.) It's sweet and subtle enough to be loved my 6yo, but a little too creamy for me -- I like to thin it with more carrot and a little stock.

[BarbaraY]

I made stir-fried green beans a couple of days ago. 1 lb beans, 1 teaspoon ground star anise, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, 1 clove garlic, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 thinly sliced red chili.

I usually use it in things like Chinese Red Cooked dishes, tea eggs, etc.

[Gifted Gourmet]

There is a cream of carrot/star anise soup recipe in recipegullet. 

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Not to worry .... it is right here: Carrot star anise soup recipe from Recipe Gullet

[k43]

Here's my Oxtail Stew, with a whole handful of star anise, which perfumes the entire house.

[andiesenji]

I found the FDA article on star anise

FDA warning about Japanese star anise

[Marc Olson]

Abra,

Thanks for the welcome, and here are the rough proportions for my confit rub:

4 cups Diamond Kosher Salt

1 cup sugar

12 fresh bay leaves, ground coarsely in a blade style grinder

4 TB whole peppercorns, ground coarsely

4 TB star anise, ground medium fine

1 TB Schezuan peppercorns, ground

It's not a strict mix for me, but I was inspired by the Bouchon 'green salt' recipe for confit to grind the spices, particularly the bay leaf.

When I brine the duck I put a generous layer in the bottom of a large vac pack bag, dust the mixture on the flesh side of the leg, turn over and then rub a fair amount skin side, then place flesh side down in the salt mixture in a single layer. Vacuum pack and then let sit overnight in the fridge. I'll use the whole amount above for 12-16 legs (way more than other recipes would suggest), I like the intensity of flavor.

[Marc Olson]

I just remembered another star anise recipe that's great with duck. It's simple: In a slow cooker, put down a layer of duck legs (4), sprinkle with salt, brown sugar and star anise. Another layer of duck, salt, brown sugar and anise. Repeat until the crock pot is full.

Cook on high for an hour then on low until the duck is falling off the bone tender.

[Gifted Gourmet]

This is a dessert recipe using star anise that I will be trying this weekend ... Chocolate Ice Cream with Anise-Scented Orange Carpaccio but I may change the ice cream to something more vanilla-esque so as not to conflict with the oranges and anise tastes ... looks inviting!

[sazji]

Yes, it's almost hard to imagine duck *without* star anise!

The mother of a chinese friend of mine used to do take a pork roast - the very tender ones that are tied up in string mesh - and put about 3/4 cup of honey over it and let it sit overnight, then add an equal part of soy sauce, water to cover and one or two whole star anise. She'd then simmer it for hours till it was infused and falling-apart tender and the sauce had boiled down. This was very intensely flavored and we usually ate just small bits of it with rice along with a meal rather than as a main dish in and of itself.

[etalanian]

One of my favorite spices. I often add some to stews, soups or chicken and dumplings. Just a little, so it gives a hint of mysterious and intriguing flavor. If not overused it is magical.

[Cook456]

I frequently have lunch at a place in NYC called Ollie's Noodle Shop, where they serve roast chicken or Roast Duck in a soy, star anise au ju. It's yummy!

Edited February 4, 2006 by Cook456 (log)

[chow guy]

I use it in turkey brine, Pho and most often, in a wonderful vinagarette dressing that also includes a bit of grounnd Chimayo red chile.

[ludja]

Nice addition to homemade chai.

Star anise-marinated poultry, beef or pork are in my future, and Katie's sangria will be made when the weather turns a bit warmer.

Edited February 4, 2006 by ludja (log)

[Busboy]

Derek Brown, former Bar Star and now Frontman at Firefly here in DC, and I, came up with this. It is fabulous. We need a name.

NO NAME COCKTAIL

1-1/2 oz gin

½ oz fresh lemon juice

¾ oz simple syrup

½ oz Lillet Blanc

3 star anise

½ oz gin

Lemon slice

Pour the ½ oz gin on the star anise and let sit for three minutes.

Mix all other ingredients in a shaker with plenty of ice.

Strain anise-gin into the shaker, shake well and strain into a chilled martini glass

Garnish with lemon slice and one anise star.

[Nancie McDermott]

I just got my first bottle of star anise and was looking for recipes. This was among the first ones I located:  recipe here for poached chicken... and I know Jackal has a recipe for long simmered marbelized eggs ....

Do you have any favorite ways of using star anise? 

Can star anise recipes be both sweet but also sometimes savory?

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I love star anise; one of nature's most incredible creations. How could something so detailed and precise and alluring be just another part of the botanical picture? And cinnamon sticks. And mace enfolding nutmegs. I could curl up with my all-about-spices books, all big and with pictures, for an afternoon; between bouts of baking, and fueled by cocoa and chai in alternating doses of course. Not this weekend, however.... I keep it in a jar, and use it only in traditional ways ----Chinese style stews (red-cooking) with soy sauce, sugar, and fatty pork, with hard boiled eggs slipped in at the end. I looked it up after reading your message,and learned something new, which makes perfect sense, and gives us a Southern connection, or rather an association. It is related to magnolias. I can see it now with the seed pods, though I need a revisit to a magnolia tree to remind me of itgs details, pretty easy here in NC. And of course, no relationship to actual anise, that just referring to the licorice-ish flavor. I'm not very adventurous with food things. My

favorite is to pursue the old ways and traditional approaches. It has great possibilities in sweets and baking --- it's central to 5-spice powder of course, which is a sweet combination to my western tongue. Just read in another book that it's called "eight corners" in some Chinese dialects. I like the "star" idea myself...

Edited February 18, 2006 by Nancie McDermott (log)

[Pweaver1984]

Heston from the Fat Duck is a massive fan of Star Anise, check these out GiftedG:

The Appliance of Science

Taste not, want not

Eight ways to fight Bird Flu

Ultimate Bolognaise

Paul

[Gifted Gourmet]

Heston from the Fat Duck is a massive fan of Star Anise, check these out GiftedG:

The Appliance of Science

Taste not, want not

Eight ways to fight Bird Flu

Ultimate Bolognaise

Paul

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Wow! This will make for a weekend of great reading for me! Seriously, Paul, I appreciate your filling in my 'star anise deficit' with these items .. off to read your links ...

[mochihead]

Star anise is great seasoning for boiled peanuts. Just add sugar, salt and a bunch of the star anise to the water. Mmmmm...

It's also great in Chinese style oxtail soup with wintermelon, peanuts, ginger....

[PicnicChef]

Star anise is great in tea smoked eggs...earl grey tea, soy, 5-spice, star anise. First make hard cooked eggs, now carefully crack them with the side of a spoon, let simmer in the tea mixture for one hour, and let them rest for six. Lovely and tasty, especially if you do a variation of devilled eggs by adding a little sesame oil and soy to the mayo in the yolk.

[Torrilin]

Chicken Noodle Soup

1-2 quarts chicken stock (low sodium canned is ok, very very blank homemade is better)

1/2 pound rice noodles

lemongrass or lemon zest (use lemon zest if you can't get fresh lemongrass)

1-2 star anise petals

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1-2 slices of ginger

salt and pepper to taste

Heat the stock to a simmer, and add the seasonings. When they've scented the stock, you may strain them out, or leave them in, depending on your personal taste. I usually make this when I'm feeling sickly, so I tend to strain out all but the garlic and ginger.

For best flavor, soften the rice noodles in boiling water while you're infusing the broth. If you're feeling too ill to manage that, just add them directly to the stock and bring to a boil.

When the noodles are soft, devour.

Flavoring the stock in this manner gives you a pretty standard Thai/Chinese stock suitable for most dishes. Egg drop soup gets pretty easy from this, as does congee. The star anise adds a nice richness of flavor that you don't get with regular chicken stock.

Emily