Piquant Post is a monthly subscription box that offers a variety of freshly ground, small batch spice blends with their very own chef developed recipes that feature a new region each month.
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About Piquant Post
The Subscription Box: Piquant Post
The Cost: $11.99 a month + free US shipping. Save with 6 and 12-month subscriptions.
ACTIVE DEAL: First Order 10% off. No coupon needed - just use this link.
The Products: 4 spice blends from a single region or country, 4 chef-developed recipes showcasing each of the spice blends, plus online access to recipes and ingredient substitutes.
Ships to: Worldwide
Piquant Post July 2018 Review
Each box comes with four spice blends and coordinating recipe cards. Let's get into this month's spices!
Chourico Spice
Our first spice of the month is meant for soups and stews to give you your ground pork that traditional Portuguese Chourico spice flavor. A little smoke and a little spice that is the great addition to any soup. This blend contains smoked paprika, garlic, cayenne pepper, white pepper, bay leaf, and fennel seed.
Chourico and Kale Soup Recipe
According to Piquant Post, "this soup recipe is a variation on one of Portugal's national dishes known as “Caldo Verde“, very interesting! What I love about this soup recipe is that you really can customize it any way you like. I, unfortunately, was not able to find ground pork at my local store, so I used ground turkey which was a great second option! You could add a different meat variation or mixture of vegetables, but no matter how you quick it you will get a deliciously hearty soup. Let's see how it turned out for me!
I started by warming some olive oil in a pan before cooking my meat. Once the meat was cooked, I added my spice blend and chopped onions. I let this all cook down together until the onions were fragrant.
In went the kale (I got baby kale for this recipe because I love the way it cooks down in soup dishes) and potatoes. I covered the pot and let this simmer for another 5 minutes or so.
Finally, I added my beans and one can of diced tomatoes. I covered the pot again and let him all simmer for another 5 minutes.
Once everything was cooked down a bit in the pot, I added chicken stock and let everything simmer together on low heat. The best part about soup dishes is that once everything is in the pot, you can really let this simmer for as long as you like!
Here is my completed bowl! It was so hearty and filling with the perfect amount of spice to it. The spice blend itself gave the meat a little kick with some smokey flavors that you could taste in each bite. I loved how the smokey flavored mixed in with the broth. This is the perfect recipe to hold onto for when the weather cools down and we can really enjoy this soup with some crusty bread and a glass of red wine!
Peri Peri Spice
According to Piquant Post, this is a Portuguese-African fusion spice blend. This blend is most-known for using as a sauce for grilled chicken, similar to the featured recipe that we will learn more about below. This blend is meant to be smokey and savory, perfect for any meat that you want to toss on the grill! Inside you will find smoked paprika, chili flakes, garlic, onion, oregano, lemon peel, basil, guajillo chili, and citric acid.
Peri Peri Grilled Chicken Recipe
I love that this recipe allows you to use the spice blend to make into a sauce or that you can use it as a dry rub on your chicken. The sauce sounds incredible and something I could see making to pair with all sorts of meats like chicken wings. The recipe seems super easy, especially since you can use the grill to cook your chicken, and perfect for a warm summer evening. I can't wait to cook this recipe on a weekend when my husband has the grill going!
Portuguese Allspice Spice
This blend is packed full of so many different flavors! You can really use this on just about anything you are cooking with. It is made with paprika, ancho chili, cumin, nutmeg, black pepper, cinnamon, allspice, lemon peel, orange peel, oregano, ginger, cloves, and bay leaf. Piquant Post suggests using this in a recipe that calls for paprika to give it a bit more of a kick. I loved the smell that hits you once you open this spice packet, so many layers of flavor!
Bifana Pork Sandwich Recipe
This recipe is one that you will find on your travels to Portugal. It is served on a roll with mustard and caramelized onions. The spice blend gives the pork a big kick of flavor that is heavy on the paprika! This is another recipe that looks relatively easy but is perfect for the warm summer weather. Piquant Post even notes that these are eaten like burgers, you can have them anytime anywhere when it comes to summer cooking!
Portuguese Saffron Spice
Wow, look at this spice blend, it smells as fragrant as it looks! I was hit with an instant sweet yet smokey smell when I opened this packet, almost like a pipe or cigar. The blend can be used in just about anything you want to cook and adds a lovely color to your dish. This blend is made with safflower, paprika, lemon peel, black pepper, garlic, thyme, turmeric, cayenne pepper, and bay leaf.
Portuguese Cod with Fideos Recipe
Piquant Post notes that cod is used in many recipes in Portugal. Honestly, I wasn't sure what Fideos were so I had to look it up. Basically, it is a thin noodle that is used in this dish to make it similar to a paella but without the rice. Traditionally this would be with salted cod, but the recipe calls for fresh cod instead. This recipe looks relatively easy, but I wasn't able to find Fideos in my local grocery store. It might need to be something that I order online or go to our famous Strip District Market downtown.
Verdict: This month's Piquant Post amazing! I didn't know much about Portugal or their traditional cuisine, but I loved learning about each new recipe or coordinating spice blend. The curation this month took me on a journey through Portugal without leaving my kitchen. That is what I love about this subscription, you can gain so much knowledge from each spice packet and recipe card. You can cook the featured recipes or use the spice blends for something completely different! This is a great box for someone that loves to learn and explore with new flavors from around the world.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, order by 9/15 to receive the September box!
Coupon - Use code MSA15OFF to save 15% off your first box!
Value Breakdown: This box costs $11.99 with free U.S. shipping, and I received a total of 4 spices. That means that the average value for each of those items is around $3 (not counting the recipe cards).
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Have you received Piquant Post? What did you think of the July spices?
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