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Argan oil
Believed to be one of the rarest oils in the world, argan oil comes from the nuts of the argan tree which is indigenous to Morocco. It’s related to the olive but has a distinct flavour of its own.
Argan oil can be drizzled over food before serving or stirred into soups, couscous and tagines.
Asafoetida
An extremely pungent spice extracted from a plant of the giant fennel family, asafoetida is frequently used in Indian and Middle Eastern cooking. In fact, asafoetida’s strong, garlicky, dung-like smell is quite off-putting (the Germans call it Teufelsdreck - devil’s dung). But if you can overcome the stink, which disappears in the cooking process, the smallest amount of it transforms vegetable dishes, meat stews and fish.
Aspic
It’s the transparent jelly in which cold fish, poultry and meat are sometimes served. It’s used as a garnish to glaze and protect fish and other food from drying out, and to set savoury foods in a mould.
It can also be mixed with béchamel, cream or mayonnaise to make a chaudfroid sauce.
