Non-starchy saffron recipes for terraalba

I cooked No4 some days ago - great!
Omelettes with Silver Beet and Saffron - give it a go!

#5 and 6 really appeal, thank you davidt.

time consuming and laborious job to gather.

Try this recipe

Saffron Potato Cake With Smoked Salmon from Gourmet Gold saffron

6 medium potatoes (700g)
Salted water to cook
¼ cup cream
Medium pinch of Gourmet Gold Saffron - crumbled
250g cream cheese
2 eggs
2 tablespoons flour
1 spring onion - finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh dill (or pinch dried dill)
Salt & Pepper

Boil potatoes in salted water until soft.

In a separate pot heat the cream with crumbled saffron over a low heat until colour is released and cream is hot. (Do not boil!)

Drain potatoes thoroughly and mash, add saffron cream once the potatoes are broken up.

Beat together ½ of the cream cheese, eggs and flour.

Mix into the saffron and potato mix, add chopped spring onion and mix.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon the mixture into 8 well greased 10cm shallow baking pans, OR into a shallow well greased baking dish 25cm in diameter. Bake for 1 hour (large dish) or 40 minutes (small dishes) at 160°C. Flip out of dish while hot and leave to cool.

Top with layer of cream cheese, then rocket or watercress, then liberal flakes of hot smoked salmon.

Serve individually or as wedge from the large cake.

Quote
cookessentials (1216 1216 positive feedback) 2:13 pm, Fri 5 Jul #7
I had a delicious dessert on Saturday at Black Barn in Hawkes Bay which was a saffron verjuice and pear crème brulee, one that I will be replicating at home, that's for sure, it probably needed a wee bit more saffron for my liking, but one needs to be careful that it does not overpower the subtle taste of the pear.

cookessentials (1216 1216 positive feedback) 10:28 am, Tue 23 Jul #8

Many thanks I've just spotted this and appreciate this very much.

I've copied them too, I've grown my own saffron for a couple of seasons & I'll have to keep going to get enough for some recipes . 20 strands of saffron after 2 years?
60 + corms in the ground . I'll persevere & relish.

Growing your own saffron! Wow. Does it taste different to the commercial saffron? It would be a lot fresher I imagine.

It's easy to grow but the yield has been minimal to date as I only bought 30 corms (silly me). I'm hoping for better this season as they multiply fairly quickly. They've doubled in quantity but of course the babies don't produce yet. It's quite time consuming as the stamens need to be picked & dried early but with no dew/moisture.
I can't really tell you if it differs much from bought saffron, as I've only ever bought it once & binned it . it was horrible, probably inferior low grade stuff.

Great thread. The recipe at post 1 is a regular for me, but there are others there I must try. Thanks DT4

#6 is a winner. There's something wonderful and mysterious about the combination of saffron and dry sherry.

Saffron Cauliflower with Olives and Sultanas (Ottolenghi)

serves 4

1 ½ tsp saffron strands
75 ml boiling water
1 medium sized cauliflower divided into florets
1 large red onion, sliced
100g sultanas (if dry soak in water a few min and drain)
90 g green olives, pitted and halved lengthwise
4 tab olive oil
2 bay leaves
4 tab roughly chopped parsley
salt and pepper

Heat oven to 200 C. Infuse saffron in boiling water a few min, the pour into large mixing bowl. Add all ingredients except parsley, mix well.

Transfer mix to an oven dish, cover, bake 40 - 45 min or until cauli is barely tender.

Cool uncovered, add parsley, serve warm or room temp.

Saffron Yoghurt Dessert (Gujarati shrikand)

serves 6 - 8

900 ml fresh plain whole milk yoghurt - mild and creamy
1 - 2 tab milk
large pinch of saffron
½ c icing sugar, sifted
pinch of salt
large pinch of freshly ground cardamom seeds (seeds from 2 - 3 pods)
large pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
large pinch of freshly ground cinnamon
dash or rosewater
handful of chopped pistachios

Drain yoghurt in cheesecloth at room temperature for 4 hours - it will lose about 1 ½ c whey - until it stops dripping.

Meanwhile heat milk and crumble saffron into it.

Turn yoghurt out into a bowl. Start beating the icing sugar into it until it is sweetened to your taste. Add salt, strained milk and work in gently. Beat in spices. If it remains lumpy force through a sieve.

Chill 2 - 3 hours and serve very cold with chopped pistachios sprinkled over. Small portions.

Mussels with Saffron & Leeks

2 tablespoons butter
2 large leeks (white and pale green parts only), thinly sliced
4 dozen mussels, scrubbed, debearded
1 cup dry white wine
8 fresh parsley sprigs
10 saffron threads, crushed
1/2 cup cream
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

8 first course servings or 4 main course servings

Melt butter in heavy large deep skillet over medium-low heat. Add leeks and sauté until tender, about 8 minutes.

Combine mussels, wine and parsley sprigs in large Dutch oven. Cover and cook over high heat until mussels open, about 6 minutes. Using tongs, transfer mussels to large bowl, discarding any that do not open.

Strain mussel juices into skillet containing leeks. Add saffron and cream to skillet; boil until reduced to sauce consistency, about 2 minutes. Stir in chopped parsley. Season with salt and pepper.

Add mussels and any accumulated juices to skillet. Stir over medium heat until heated through, about 2 minutes. (divide mussels among 4 bowls; pour sauce over).

Omelettes with Chard (Silver Beet) and Saffron (Ottolenghi)

serves 4

250 g waxy potatoes, peeled and in 1 cm dice
200 ml water
pinch of saffron threads
350g chard, leaves and stalks, shredded
2 tab lemon juice
1clove garlic, crushed
5 eggs
60 ml milk
20 g chopped herbs (tarragon, dill, parsley)
olive oil
100g crème fraiche, cold
salt and pepper

Put potatoes, saffron and water in a large pan, bring to the boil and simmer 4 min. Add chard, salt and pepper, simmer 10 - 15 min or until potato is tender. Drain any excess liquid, off heat add lemon juice and garlic, cool.

Whisk eggs, milk, herbs, salt and pepper. Heat a 22 cm pan, add 1 tsp oil, make four omelettes. Cool.

Divide crème fraiche amongst omelettes and spread over half of each. Check seasoning of chard mix, spread generously over crème fraiche. Fold each omelette in half, fold again into a fan shape, showing a little chard mix at the open side.

Either serve at room temp, or:

Arrange in an oiled oven dish (can be chilled at this stage). Heat oven to 170C and bake 5 - 8 until hot. Serve hot.

Braised Eggplant with Saffron Yoghurt (George Calombaris)

serves 4 - 6 as a side dish

2 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
160 ml ev olive oil
2 red onions, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
400g tin crushed tomatoes
1 tab sherry vinegar
1 tab tomato paste
olive oil for shallow frying
2 eggplants in 2 cm cubes
2 tsp salt
10 coriander leaves
10 mint leaves
pinch of saffron
50 ml milk
200g Greek yoghurt

Roast coriander and cumin, crush.

In large saucepan heat 1 tab oil over high heat, add onion, garlic, coriander and cumin, sweat 4 min until translucent.

Add tomato, vinegar, tomato paste, rest of oil and simmer 45 min. Take off heat.

Meanwhile heat saffron and milk 2 min, set aside 1 hour to infuse. Add to yoghurt and mix well, keep in fridge.

Meanwhile fry eggplant in oil over high heat until brown and tender. Add to tomato mixture, add salt, leave to cool.

Finely shred the coriander and mint, add just before serving. Serve yoghurt on the side.

Spanish Chicken with Saffron & Sherry

1 large chicken, jointed into 14 pieces
salt
2 tab olive oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
5 strands saffron
¼ c chicken stock
⅓ c dry sherry

Lightly salt chicken. Heat oil in casserole and sauté garlic, pressing to brown a little. Remove garlic to mortar, add ⅛ tsp salt and saffron and mash. Add a little stock and mash, then rest of stock.
Reheat pan, add chicken and brown. Add sherry and mortar contents. Bring to a boil, cover and cook at high simmer 35 minutes.

Serve with sautéed spinach.