Did you know that it takes almost 70,000 crocus flowers to produce just one pound of dried saffron, all of which have to be harvested by hand just as the flower is opening? No wonder it’s the most expensive spice in the cupboard.
This spice is responsible for that distinctive bright yellow color of Italian risotto milanese, French bouillabaisse, Spanish paella, and Indian biryanis. It also has a very subtle flavor and aroma - somewhat spicy, somewhat floral. Like truffles, some people find saffron completely intoxicating and addictive.
Saffron is the dried orange-red stigmas of a particular kind of crocus. When buying saffron, look for threads that are uniformly long and have an eye-popping color. Don’t bother with broken saffron, saffron powder, or threads that look dull and dusty. It’s not worth the cost. And this is definitely one of those spices where it’s worth it to pay more. So called “bargain” saffron is probably very old or mixed with saffron styles (another part of the crocus) or marigold flowers.
You only need a few threads to season and color an entire dish. Add them directly to a dish or steep the threads in a bit of the cooking liquid.
If you’re going for authenticity in dishes like paella and bouillabaisse, you’ve got to have saffron. There’s really no substitute. But if you aren’t so worried about exact replication and just want to approximate the yellow glow without spending a fortune, you can substitute turmeric.
What do you think of this spice?
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Very true - buy the best stuff, otherwise the aroma's just not there. To perfume steamed basmati rice, I crush a few strands of saffron with rock salt to form a powder, and add a couple of tablespoons of hot water. Once the rice is done, I sprinkle with the saffron mixture, and allow to rest, covered (with a teatowel under the lid) for a further 15 minutes. Rice will be beautifully fragrant.
hm, perhaps that's why i never knew what the fuss was about - no flavour and colour that could be achieved by other means - old saffron! will have to give it another go.
Using old saffron is a waste. That's why I don't ever keep it in my spice cupboard. Whenever a recipe calls for it, I head to Penzy's & buy it the same day or day before I need it. Makes a huge difference! At the location near my house, they keep the saffron (and a few other items, culinary lavendar for example) in the back.
Anyone looking for a good recipe using saffron - MAKE THIS!!!!!!!
http://www.thekindlife.com/post/moroccan-couscous-with-saffron !!!!!!!!!
I'm serious. Make it.
I understand that Calendula is also a suitable substitute for saffron. I have no experience, but I hope to try it someday. Anyone know anything about using Calendula for saffron?
Love, love, love saffron! My local spice shop has excellent quality saffron so I dont mind paying the price for it. I buy mine for paella and then usually have a bit left over. Try this recipe for a dipping sauce. Origionally made it for artichokes but now put it on anything!
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/steamed-artichokes-with-almond-saffron-dip-recipe/index.html
I believe that it benefits from toasting. Careful though because it burns easily. My method is to preheat the toaster oven to 300F put the saffron in on a small piece of foil and turn the oven off and let the saffron toast in the residual heat foe a few minutes. The flavor intensifies and the saffron is crumbles very finely.
I think those floral notes in saffron make it as perfect for sweets as it is for savories. Growing up, we would sometimes drink warm milk and sugar steeped with saffron and of course Indian confectionary is rich with saffron-flavored sweetmeats.
There is no substitute for saffron. I repeat, THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR SAFFRON. My sister-in-law brought me back about a cup of saffron after a visit to Spain. I'm thinking of building a wall safe to keep it in!
I can't imagine Iranian dishes without saffron. Especially with those delicious rice!
I wouldn't substitute turmeric for saffron - while the color is similar, turmeric has a strong, earthy flavor that is a) nothing like saffron and b) can overwhelm food if you use more than just a little pinch.
Saffron powder (which has some styles and food coloring in it as filler) is a better substitute - the color and flavor are truer to the real thing. GreatFriend is right, though - there is no true substitute.
I just tried saffron for the first time last night, in my first paella dish...and was underwhelmed. I want to try to make the dish again without the saffron just to see what all the hubub is about, because as it stands right now - I have no idea what the big deal is. For the price I paid for the saffron, I was expecting a real *wow* flavor that knocked my socks off ... but that was absent. The dish was good, I just don't know what saffron brought to the table, pun intended.