In this series, we ask chefs about the secret ingredients they love—and how you can use them at home. Here, executive chef Mindy Oh of Mora Italiano in Encino, California, shares her love for fennel pollen. The versatile spice is harvested from wild fennel, whose tiny, bright yellow flowers bloom through the summer, and can be dusted over just about anything.
Secret ingredient: Fennel pollen is my go-to spice for steak, fish, chicken, vegetables, grains, and almost anything else I can sprinkle it on top of. It will add notes of citrus and licorice to dishes. It’s a subtle flavor that’ll confuse people as to what that aftertaste is, or where that depth of flavor is coming from.
