Star anise
Used in 2 recipes on RecipeWiki.
Star anise is the dried, star-shaped seed pod of an evergreen tree, with each point holding a glossy seed. It tastes of liquorice and aniseed, but warmer and slightly sweet. Used whole, it scents long-cooked liquids: the clear beef broth of Pho Bo and the soy and sugar braise of Red-Braised Pork Belly, where its aroma is one of the dish's defining notes. It is strong, so one or two pods are usually enough for a whole pot. Toast it briefly in a dry pan to bring out its fragrance. Count the pods in and out, as they are unpleasant to bite into.
Most often cooked with
Cinnamon
Ginger
Rock sugarRecipes with star anise
Pho Bo
Charring the onion and ginger before they go near water is what makes the broth smell like pho rather than beef soup. Everything else is patience.
Vietnamese
Dinner
Beef
Red-Braised Pork Belly
Pork belly caramelised in sugar and braised in soy and wine until the fat turns to jelly and the sauce to lacquer.
Chinese
Pork
Stews