A French blend of four ground spices, usually white or black pepper, nutmeg, cloves and ginger or cinnamon, used mainly in pâtés, terrines, sausages and slow-cooked meat dishes.
What it is¶
Quatre épices ("four spices") is a French blend of ground pepper, nutmeg, cloves and either ginger or cinnamon. Pepper, often white pepper, is the dominant spice, frequently making up well over half the mixture. It is above all a charcuterie seasoning, used by French butchers and home cooks in pâtés, terrines, rillettes, sausages and boudin noir (black pudding), and in some long-cooked stews.
Confusingly, quatre-épices is also one of the French names for allspice (Pimenta dioica), because its flavour suggests several spices at once. In a recipe, context usually makes clear which is meant; a pâté recipe asking for a teaspoon of quatre épices means the blend.
Origins¶
French cooks have seasoned pork products with pepper, nutmeg and cloves since at least the medieval period, when heavily spiced food was a mark of wealth (see medieval-spice-cookery). The named four-spice mixture belongs to the tradition of French charcuterie, the craft of preparing cooked and cured pork, and appears in French cookbooks and trade manuals from the 19th century onwards. It survived the general retreat of spices from French cuisine in the 17th and 18th centuries precisely because it was a butchers' seasoning rather than a court fashion.
What goes in it¶
| Spice | Role |
|---|---|
| White pepper (or black pepper) | The main spice; heat without dark specks in pale pâtés |
| nutmeg | Sweet, rich warmth; classic with pork and liver |
| cloves | Pungent, deep; a traditional partner to pork |
| ginger (or cinnamon) | Warmth and lift |
Typical proportions are around 6 parts pepper to 1 part each of the others, although recipes vary widely.
Flavour¶
Peppery and warm, with sweetness from nutmeg and a resinous edge from cloves. On its own it tastes sharp; diluted in fatty pork, liver and wine, it reads as savoury and rounded, the characteristic flavour of a French country pâté.
How to use it¶
- Pâtés and terrines: around 1 teaspoon per kilo of meat, along with salt, garlic and brandy or wine.
- Rillettes: stirred into the shredded pork with its fat.
- Sausages and boudin noir.
- Ragoûts and braises: a pinch in beef or game stews, or in a daube.
- Pain d'épices: some versions of French spice bread use it, usually with cinnamon rather than ginger.
- Vegetables: roasted root vegetables, especially celeriac and parsnip.
Making it at home¶
About 4 tablespoons · 5 minutes
You need
- 2 tbsp white peppercorns (or half black, half white)
- 1 tsp cloves
- 1½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 1½ tsp ground ginger (or ground cinnamon)
Method
- Grind the peppercorns and cloves together to a fine powder.
- Mix in the nutmeg and ginger.
- Store airtight. Use sparingly: the blend is strong.
Variations¶
- With cinnamon: often preferred for sweeter uses, such as spice bread or some game dishes.
- With black pepper: for dark stews and sausages, where speckling does not matter.
- Five or more spices: some charcutiers add allspice, mace or coriander and still call it quatre épices.
- Commercial blends vary between brands in the pepper ratio.
As with most house blends, each charcutier has their own formula; no one version is authentic.
Buying and storing¶
Keep airtight and use within six months; white pepper in particular turns musty with age. Grind small amounts from whole spices for the best flavour.