# Saffron recipe?



## resident1fan (Sep 29, 2009)

I would like to ask for a recipie that has a great taste using the saffron I have in my spice/seasoning drawer. I have faint ideas of how to utilize it but suggestons and tips would be nice to guide me.

Thanks in advance


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

Probably the two most common are paella and risotto Milanese.

Here's a discussion of paella:
http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/recip...yone-help.html


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

Saffron is bad for you, Resident. Best bet is to box it up and send it to me for proper disposal.


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## petalsandcoco (Aug 25, 2009)

Resident,


Are you looking for a main dish or a dessert ? Or would you like both ?


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## resident1fan (Sep 29, 2009)

well i was looking for a main dish as I did not know that saffron could be used in baking. But would be so kind as to tell me a few tips and tricks for both baking and cooking?

Thanks


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

One trick, no matter how you're using it, is the bloom it rather than adding it directly to the dish.

Crush the dried tendrils and let them steep in a little (a tablespoonful to 1/4 cup) of warm water, stock, or broth. This helps draw out the color and flavor so it intergrates evenly into the rest of the ingredients. 

For instance, in the Risotto Milanese that Phil referred to, you would "dissolve" a 1/4 teaspoon of crushed saffron threads in a quarter cup of the chicken broth used to cook the rice. At some point (usually just before the last broth addition) you'd add the steeped saffron.


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## petalsandcoco (Aug 25, 2009)

Just thought before you use this wonderful spice that it would be great to read an interesting article on it. I have spent some time today going into the history of it.....love the origin of things, this is just "one" article...there are so many....

Recipes to come soon.

*All About Saffron* 
by Sandra Bowens

Imagine taking a spice that costs $50 an ounce and using it to dye, say, a sweater? Probably wouldn't happen these days but saffron has been used as a natural yellow dye.

Nor would you fill your pillow with saffron to prevent a hangover, as the early Romans did following a feast. Today's market prices are still in line with the Middle Ages, however, when you could trade a pound of saffron for a horse.

So why the hefty price tag, you may be wondering? Every step in the cultivation of the world's most expensive spice is done by hand. Saffron is the dried stigma of the purple saffron crocus. _Crocus sativus_ is a member of the iris family. It blooms for only two or three weeks in autumn.

The flowers are picked by hand and then the reddish-orange stigmas, only three per flower, are plucked from each bloom. The "threads" are spread onto a sieve and cured over heat for half an hour to dry and deepen the flavor.

Native to southern Europe and Asia Minor, Spain is the world's largest grower and exporter of saffron. It takes 210,000 stigmas from 70,000 flowers to make up one pound. A one-acre plot will yield 8 to 12 pounds of the spice.

Saffron is said to symbolize the necessity of guarding against excess. If you go overboard with it in a recipe, you will wind up with a medicinal taste. Use just the right amount and saffron will impart a pleasant, somewhat spicy yet bitter flavor to a dish.

Most recipes will call for a "good pinch" of the threads. Just a quarter teaspoon will season rice for four or six people. Cookbook authors often recommend soaking the threads in water or milk before adding to a recipe. This also encourages that gorgeous yellow color to shine through.

The word saffron is derived from the Arabic word _za'faran_ meaning yellow.

This pretty spice is common to fish and rice dishes in several cuisines. It is essential to a French _bouillabaisse_, the shellfish and fish stew. Spanish cooks consider it a must for _paella_, an exquisite dish of rice and seafood, as well as for _arroz con pollo_, chicken with rice. Risotto Milanese is the Italian offering for saffron rice. You might also try it as a seasoning for soups, potatoes or tomato dishes.

Don't let the expense of saffron keep you from cooking with it. As noted above, a little goes a long way. Generally, when you splurge on an ounce, you get it in a decorative tin for about $50. Still too much? You can get a gram for $8 from Pendery's or half a gram for $3.75 from King Arthur's Baker's Catalog (see links).

Look for the whole threads rather than buying the powdered form. As far back as 1 A.D. Pliny warned folks that saffron was a "frequently falsified commodity." Buy from a reputable spice dealer and avoid "Mexican saffron," which is usually safflower. 
Store your saffron in a well-sealed container away from light and heat, like the rest of your spices. If you are concerned about theft, do what the restaurant chefs do: Lock it in the safe!


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

Chef Petals -- Excellent repost. Or as they say in fencing, riposte. Only the prices have changed. $50 an ounce saffron... a fond memory. The best source I know for good saffron (200+), www.saffron.com sells an ounce for $150/oz. And BTW they're fantastic for vanilla, too.

As to "what to make with my saffron," I'd go with arroz con pollo; or a fairly simple pilaf.

You can't make a good paella without a paellera (special paeilla pan) and since the subject of saffron was brought up at all, it's safe to assume the OP doesn't have one -- there simply would not have been a question. Ditto risotto -- a good risotto maker doesn't need to ask; instead falling straight to the knees, looking heavenwards and whispering "thanks."

Saffron-honey-vanilla-lavender icecream is very nice.

You can use it as a marinade/baste for grilled chicken and fish -- here's how: Toast some saffron in a warm pan for a minute or two -- don't let it burn. Put the toasted saffron in a blender with a 1/4 cup cup of lemon or lime juice. Blend until the saffron is completely pulverized. Add another 3/4 cup of juice, plus 1/4 cup of decent (or better) extra virgin olive oil, and blend until emulsified.

BDL


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## petalsandcoco (Aug 25, 2009)

When I first saw the post the first that did come to mind was a dessert. 
I use it alot for color.

The Risotto that has been mentionned a few times now is a very good idea to try it with first, " Risotto Milanese ".

I have found that in life when trying a new spice, its always good to get to know it in simple dishes and then eventually expound and add other flavors.

My next suggested for a dessert would have been a rice pudding with cinnamon, sultanas, ground cardamons and blanched almonds, with fresh grated nutmeg on top (saffron of course). I always drizzle maple syrup ......

Chicken saffron is an easy dish to make ....

Just a thought.

Merci pour tout.


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## duckfat (Aug 7, 2008)

At the risk of starting to sound like the poster boy for Costco they are carrying 5 gram bottles of Spanish saffron for $10. The quality is excellent. I make a fair amount of Paella and that lasts me several months. LaTienda is a great source as well. They also carry plenty of paella pans.

Authentic Spanish Food from Spain at LaTienda.com


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

I'd like to know how Costco can do that with a quality product. 

Locally I pay almost fourteen bucks for a 1-gram container. Breaking down saffron.com's prices (and they have excellent quality), you're looking at $5.36/gram when buying in quantity. 

La Tienda (which also has excellent quality) gets $15-20/gram. Granted, they package in those fancy bottles, but still.....


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## duckfat (Aug 7, 2008)

The stuff at Coscto comes in a pretty nice bottle as well. I double check the price when I'm in the store this week. Perhaps my CRS is more advanced than I thought and they are $20 instead of $10.:lol:
IIR they had plenty in stock. It was less in the store than the saffron they had at Costco.com as well so it's very possible that the unit I shop at is trying to clear it out. I heard from others that bought vanilla beans at Costco this year for $5. The same package here is $20.


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

I'll check locally again as well, just to see where it's at now. Haven't worried about it lately because awhile back I was gifted with a half-ounce of Iranian saffron, and have become pretty spoiled using it. 

What I get locally comes packaged in 1-gram capacity plastic tubes. Fresh Mart has it in fancy bottles, but I never looked at the price. I'll check that this week too.


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## duckfat (Aug 7, 2008)

The saffron that was at Costco.com earlier this years was Iranian. The 5 gram jars in the store (19.97 on my receipt) are Spanish LaMancha. It is a very nice product and the price is hard to beat. If you can't get that there I could always grab a bottle and ship it to you if you wanted.


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

I have some of that Costco saffron and am impressed with it. As to the price, all I can figure is they buy in huge enough volumes to get a good discount.


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## oahuamateurchef (Nov 23, 2006)

Thanks for creating this thread. I've been wondering what to do with that tiny vial of saffron my parents sent to me when they went over seas. 

BDL's chicken marinade sounds like a great idea. I'm also considering some kind of frozen yogurt dessert. How do I incorporate saffron into a frozen dessert? Bloom it like earlier mentioned? And how much saffron to make, say 1 quart of ice cream/frozen yogurt?


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

Toast it lightly, crumble and bloom it in a (very) little warm water. 

A quart isn't much. Three or four threads should do it.

BDL


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