Best flavor for chicken: Celebrity chef Shannon Bennett reveals the spices he’s obsessed with

Celebrity chef Shannon Bennett reveals the little-known condiment he just discovered and can’t stop using

  • Australian star chef Shannon Bennett has just discovered Mexican oregano
  • The star uses the earthy, citrusy condiment on ‘everything, especially chicken’

Celebrity chef Shannon Bennett has unveiled his “great discovery,” a rare condiment used in Mexican cuisine.

The Masterchef star and Melbourne resident swears by “Mexican oregano,” which is surprisingly completely different from the popular Mediterranean condiment.

‘Regular’ oregano is part of the mint family with bitter notes, while Mexican oregano has roots in the verbena genus, making it floral and citrusy.

My big discovery of the month is Mexican oregano. I just realized it’s used for cooking,’ said the chef.

“I use it on everything, especially anything chicken related.”

Celebrity chef Shannon Bennett has unveiled his ‘great discovery’: a rare condiment used in Mexican cuisine and found in parts of South America

Masterchef star Shannon Bennett swears by ‘Mexican oregano’, surprisingly completely different from the popular Mediterranean condiment

The Aussie favorite chef posted a Instagram photo of his new hero herbs.

The post was accompanied by two additional images featuring “before” and “after” photos of a delicious chicken dish the chef prepared.

Common oregano is native to temperate climates in Western and Southwestern Europe and Asia, along with most Mediterranean countries.

On the other hand, Mexican oregano comes from Mexico, Guatemala and some countries in South America.

The seasonings may be similar in name, but they cannot be used interchangeably in dishes.

Shannon Bennett’s favorite condiment has a faint anise flavor with undertones of citrus and lemon.

The earthy spice also complements other popular spices like cumin and chilies, leading to its popularity in Mexican dishes like pozole, quesadillas, and carnitas.

The seasoning is available in specialized international food stores, as well online at My Herb Clinic for $22/100g.

Mexican oregano comes from Mexico, Guatemala and some countries in South America

Chicken wings with Mexican oregano

Ingredients:

10 chicken wings

1/3 cup flour

2 tbsp smoked paprika powder

2 tsp garlic powder

Cooking oil spray

1 1/2 tbsp Mexican oregano

40g butter

Black pepper

Salty

3 eggs, beaten

Method:

  • Preheat your oven to 220°C
  • Place aluminum foil on a baking sheet and spray cooking oil on the sheet
  • In a bowl, combine the flour, smoked paprika, garlic powder, Mexican oregano, salt and pepper
  • Beat the eggs in another bowl
  • Dip each chicken wing in the egg mixture
  • Brush both sides of each wing with the Mexican oregano mixture and place on the baking sheet
  • Bake the wings for 30 minutes or until golden brown
  • Turn them over and bake for another 10 minutes or until cooked through
  • To enjoy!

Hundreds in the comments vowed to try the elusive condiment with their next meal — while others have already enjoyed the tree’s fruit.

‘Looking awesome!’ a man wrote. “I can’t wait to try it.”

“This was my favorite discovery when learning how to cook in Mexico,” Chef Nikalene Riddle wrote. “It’s great in Sopa de Lima.”

‘It’s so good. I like the hint of citrus you get compared to Greek oregano.’

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