Tastier Stews!

When stewing meat, throw in a star anise – you can’t taste the aniseed but the flavor adds a deep richness to the meat. This is a trick used in all meat dishes by Heston Blumenthal the owner of the Fat Duck (3 Michelin stars) – voted the world’s best restaurant for three years in a row.

I would suggest finding a recipe for the first time you use this trick just so you have the right amount of everything and don't end up ruining an entire pot of deliciousness ^_^ 

 

Star anise- A star-shaped, dark brown pod that contains a pea-size seed in each of its eight segments. Native to China, star anise comes from a small evergreen tree. It's flavor is slightly more bitter than that of regular anise seed. Asian cooks use star anise to give a licorice flavor to savory dishes, particularly those with pork and poultry. It's available whole or ground and is an ingredient in Chinese five-spice powder. Use it sparingly--a little goes a long way. Available year-round (and don't worry, it sounds fancy but you can get it at Wal-Mart lol)