An Unexpected Spice for a Hint of Something Different This Year

Have you ever had Pho? The Vietnamese noodle soup has become popular across the country for its spiced broth and chewy rice noodles. That flavor that’s in the background, the one you can’t put your finger on? It’s star anise. 

Whenever I use this spice in cooking my kids say, “Hmm, this tastes like pho!” Once you can identify it, you’ll know its unique flavor. It’s a mellow licorice flavor, but one that is balanced by a sweetness and slight bitterness, which keeps the licorice nicely in check. 

While you can find it ground, most often it is used in its whole form, which resembles a star or flower. The hard texture of the whole spice dictates its use to infuse liquids, such as broths, warm cider or mulled wine, and syrups, where it is always removed prior to serving. While ground star anise is available, it has the potential to completely overwhelm a dish, and therefore I don’t often use it. Allowing the whole star anise to steep in warm liquid imparts a mellow flavor that provides a backbone for your dish, without dominating it. 

I’ve developed five recipes for Thanksgiving this year that incorporate star anise. This holiday is the perfect platform to use this warm, sweet spice, and will have your guests oohing and aahing – and exclaiming, “What is that?” in the best way. 

Five Spice Roasted Cider Glazed Brussels Sprouts

There are a few ingredients here that make this Brussels sprouts dish stand out from the rest, and worth a space on your table. First is pancetta, an Italian kind of unsmoked bacon rich in flavor, but more importantly fat that gives depth to the dish. Next is Chinese five spice powder, which In this case, doesn’t impart any particularly Asian flavors. Composed of fennel seed, star anise, cloves, cinnamon, and pepper, it is a convenient way to impart seasonal flavors to recipes. Maple syrup and apple cider ensure the vegetables are at home in a holiday spread, but garlic and sesame seeds keep the glaze from over-asserting its sweetness.

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Sweet Potato Mash with Star Anise-Infused Coconut Drizzle

When I’m creating a dish, I’m usually scouring my pantry to see what else I can add to build flavor and give it as much Zest as possible. I surprised myself with this one – with just four ingredients, the sauce for the potatoes needs nothing else. It is simple, easy and can all be made ahead of time and reheated; perfect for Thanksgiving. Just keep the sauce separate until the potatoes are rewarmed, adding it a few minutes before serving so that it doesn’t disappear into the potatoes. A showering of toasted pecans adds texture and interest.

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Roasted Delicata Squash with Maple Star Anise Brown Butter

It takes a modest amount of extra effort to make the delicata squash into “donuts”, but they look so pretty on a holiday platter that it is worth the few minutes it takes. And it’s really not all that hard. If you’re getting ahead, the squash can be prepped and ready to roast on your baking sheet, and you can make the brown butter glaze and keep it refrigerated until ready to employ. The butter will solidify, so you’ll need to warm it up in a microwave before pouring it over the roasted squash. Spice with maple and orange, the brown butter mixture can’t be beat. Shower the finished dish with pumpkin seeds and pomegranate seeds for a beautiful presentation, and welcome crunch. Note that other squash can be substituted with equally delicious results. Though I’m partial to the aesthetics of the delicata squash rings, acorn or butternut would also work well.

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Cranberry Sauce with Navel Orange & Star Anise

Every family has that one dish… Thanksgiving wouldn’t be the same without it. For me, growing up, it was my mom’s cranberry mold. Ground cranberries, an inordinate amount of sugar, whole orange, pecans and pineapple all ground up, then combined with gelatin and juice and chilled to wobbly perfection. I wanted to reimagine my mom’s dish, but in a sauce version instead of a chilled mold. The star anise is a new addition, but I love the hint of spice it lends. I’ve also left out the pecans, since in this cooked version they don’t quite hold up texturally, but you could certainly sprinkle some on top for garnish if you like.

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Mulled Wine with Slivered Almonds and Plump Raisins

I didn’t realize how delicious mulled wine could be until our neighbors from Denmark served us their recipe. It was unique to me, as I had never had mulled wine with nuts and fruit at the bottom of the mug, there like a little treat for me to nibble on as I neared the end of my holiday quaff. Over the years I’ve tinkered with and combined recipes to come up with something that comes close. I’m not sure if star anise is traditionally Danish, but I love the licorice flavor it imparts, and given how popular licorice is in Scandinavia, it seemed a fitting addition.

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