Gourmet Rubs & Spice Blends

Yo mon; dis is the real thing.

Jamaica has been one of Chef Nick’s favorite destinations since his Navy days back in the 1970s and this blend represents the best of the dozens of variations he has tasted over the years.  Unlike most domestic commercial blends that use cayenne or Habanero peppers ours uses Jamaican Scotch Bonnet.  While Habanero and Scotch Bonnet are the same species of pepper, they are different cultivars and taste completely different.  By using the Scotch Bonnet our blend has an authentic Jamaican flavor profile that is seldom found in other domestic Jerk blends.

This blend is HOT and should be used carefully.  But most importantly it is very flavorful and complex containing 20 different herbs and spices.

This blend invites doing crazy things with the family dinner.  Put some reggae on the stereo, have everybody wear a bathing suit to the table and feed the family Jerk Chicken served  with Peas (red beans) and Coconut Rice.  No problem mon!

In Jamaica the people, especially the men, really love brown stews.  Unlike Jerk seasoning, the brown stews are not as hot (no Scotch Bonnet is used) but they are rich in their use of other traditional Jamaican flavors and have a very complex and fragrant profile.

In America we usually associate brown stew with beef, but in Jamaica nearly anything will end-up in the stew pot.  This blend is equally good with beef, pork, chicken, lamb, and even fish.  Dinner becomes a quick-and-easy one pot meal that (excluding fish) can be done in a crock pot for all-day cooking while you’re at work.

There are as many Cajun spice blends as there are cooks in Louisiana and each of them has their own “secret” recipe.  The foundation of food seasoning in Louisiana is salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and paprika, and this is where many commercial blends leave off.  Chef Nick’s Cajun blend continues with the addition of another eight herbs and spices that delivers a very complex profile but not excessive heat.

You can feel comfortable with any Cajun dish using this blend— it goes wonderfully with just about anything but ice cream.

Want a south of the border meal that’s flavored with more than cumin and chili?  Give Chef Nick’s Veracruz blend a try with seafood, pork, beef, poultry, or a Latin mixed grill.

Starting with the classic resort Snapper Veracruz the heat in the dishes will “automatically” adjust based on what your cooking.  The specific spices selected for heat are soluble in different cooking liquids and drippings.  Thus with fish (very low fat) the heat is quite mild, with some alcohol added it comes up a notch for poultry.  Cooking with pork or beef… the fat soluble components in the blend jack-up the heat one more level.

All you need to add to the pan for the classic Veracruz dish is sliced onion, olives, and diced tomato.

Based on old recipes from New Orleans, our Crab & Shrimp Blend is intended to season this seafood while they’re cooking: roasting, grilling, boiling, or in a sauté.  A rich blend of herbs and spices, this blend will enhance the flavors of the shellfish while taking the edge off those harvested from shallow waters.

When making crab cakes a bit of this blend will enrich the flavor profile of the dish without dominating it.

This blend is equally at home with lobster but it requires a light touch so that the herbs to not take away any of the lobster’s natural sweetness.