Saffron – where to add seasoning, what dishes is it best suited for?

Saffron is an exquisite, expensive spice used as a food additive. Seasoning is added to various dishes, enriching their aroma, taste and color. The high price of the spice is due to the difficulties of growing it. Saffron is the stigma of a certain species of crocus (Crocus sativus). Suppliers of spices to the world market are Iran, India and some other countries.

Crocuses bloom for 2 weeks. During this time, the pickers must have time to prepare the stigmas of the flower, which look like thin threads. Collection is carried out manually. Processing of raw materials is carried out on the same day. To obtain 500 g of finished spice, you will need to collect and process more than 100 thousand flowers. Due to the high cost of natural saffron, it is often replaced with cheap analogues, which give the dish a saffron tint of color. These are plants such as marigolds, turmeric, safflower.

Where is saffron added?

Saffron has found wide use in cooking. Chefs value it for its benefits, taste and delicious aroma. Just 2-3 threads of spice are enough to add to food.Saffron can be used either in the form of dried stigmas or in powder form. Whole stigmas have a richer taste and aroma.

Powder should only be purchased from reliable places, since additional ingredients are often added to the spice, which reduces its cost but worsens the quality.

You can put the spice in a variety of dishes:

• soups;
• sauces;
• creams;
• ice cream;
• Dessert;
• risotto;
• pilaf.

Saffron improves the taste of meat, fish and vegetable dishes. It can also be added to sweet baked goods and marinade for fish. The aromatic spice is suitable for preparing some drinks, including saffron used in the production of liqueurs. Once the spice is added, artificial colors are no longer needed. The dishes will look very appetizing. Saffron is usually ground in a mortar along with other spices or pre-soaked in warm water.

What can't be combined with

Saffron itself gives food and drinks a bright aroma and a unique, slightly bitter taste, even if used in small quantities. It is better not to combine spices with a strong taste and smell with this spice, such as allspice, bay leaf, cumin, star anise, and anise.

Do not drown out the aroma of saffron and the smell of herbs. This is too expensive a spice; it should have a leading role. When adding saffron to dishes, it is better to limit the amount of garlic. A spicy vegetable will also overshadow the aroma and taste of expensive seasoning.

What spices go best with?

Several spices are considered a successful combination for saffron. Its taste can be complemented by:

• carnation;
• ginger;
• cinnamon;
• basil;
• nutmeg;
• turmeric;
• coriander;
• caraway.

However, even these seasonings should be taken in minimal quantities, literally at the tip of a knife.When it comes to cheap saffron substitutes, whose role is to give dishes an attractive color, there are practically no restrictions on the spices that can be combined.

Composition, smell and taste of spices

The rich taste and smell of saffron are given by essential oils, which include a complex of terpine aldehydes - a compound called “saffranol”. In addition, the spice contains pineol, sineol, thiamine, riboflavin, flavonoids, a number of vitamins, fatty oils, glycosides, calcium and phosphorus salts, and gum. The coloring effect of the spice is provided by the presence of carotenoids in the stigmas.

Saffron has an easily recognizable, spicy smell and a specific, slightly bitter taste. These properties are characteristic only of real spices. The bright orange fake, sold under the guise of saffron, may additionally contain starch, flavorings, and dyes. Saffron can be Afghan, Indian, Spanish, Iranian. In each case, the spice has its own shade of color, taste and aroma.

How to choose good quality saffron

In order not to make a mistake when choosing, it is better to buy saffron in the form of reddish threads (stigmas). High-quality spices are always sold in packaging. What can be found on open shelves has nothing to do with real saffron.

If you come across a spice in crushed form in the store, most likely the spice is ground turmeric root. You also need to pay attention to the price. Saffron cannot be cheap. The price per 1 g depends on the type of spice and its origin. The cheapest option is sold at a cost of 400 rubles. for 1 g. Expensive varieties can cost 4 times more.

It is best to go shopping at a specialized spice shop, because proper storage is also important for saffron.You can check the authenticity of a spice by dipping it in warm water. An orange circle will immediately begin to blur around the reddish thread, and the stigma itself will not sink, but will remain on the surface.

Where and how to store

To prevent the spice from losing its wonderful properties, it is important to preserve it correctly. Saffron itself cannot deteriorate, but over time, some of the essential oils evaporate, which leads to a weakening of taste and aroma. Those who know a lot about spices recommend wrapping the saffron threads in foil and then placing them in a hermetically sealed container.

Ground saffron is stored in a cool place for 6 months. To extend shelf life, it is better to keep the stigma in the refrigerator. In this case, the spice will not deteriorate its properties for 2 years. However, due to its high cost, saffron is usually purchased in small quantities, so long-term storage is purely theoretical.

Top 5 popular recipes with saffron

The recipes below have nothing in common with each other, except for one thing - saffron stigmas are added to each dish. It is this spice that makes the taste of food exquisite, noble, multifaceted.

Risotto with Parmesan

Ingredients:

• round rice – 350 g;
• onion – 1 pc.;
• butter – 100 g;
• dry white wine – 150 ml;
• meat broth - 4 cups;
• Parmesan cheese – 100 g;
• saffron – 3-4 stigmas;
• salt, pepper - to taste.

Preparation:

1. Finely chop the onion and fry in a frying pan using half the butter.
2. As soon as the frying becomes golden, add the rice and keep on low heat for a couple of minutes.
3. Add white wine to the ingredients and let it soak into the rice.
4. Gradually add broth in small portions, allowing it to be absorbed.
5. During cooking, the rice must be stirred and tested for doneness. The grains should not become too boiled.
6. Add saffron to the pan along with the last portion of broth, add salt and pepper at the same time.

Add finely grated cheese and remaining butter to the finished risotto and stir. The dish should sit for 5-10 minutes.

Georgian sauce

Ingredients:

• walnuts – 10 pieces;
• garlic – 2 cloves;
• green cilantro – 1 bunch;
• ground coriander – 1 tsp;
• hot pepper – 1/3 pod;
• lemon juice – 1 tsp;
• salt - to taste;
• saffron – 2-3 stigmas.

Preparation:

1. Finely chop the peeled garlic with a knife.
2. Cut the hot pepper into thin rings.
3. Finely chop the cilantro.
4. Place all ingredients except walnuts and lemon juice in a mortar and grind.
5. Pass the nuts through a meat grinder twice. The result should be a mass with a delicate oily texture.
6. Combine the ground spices with nuts and lemon juice.
7. Adjust the consistency using cold boiled water until it resembles liquid sour cream.

This Georgian sauce has its own name - Bazhe. It is served with meat, poultry, fish, and vegetables.

Marinated quail eggs

Ingredients:

• quail eggs – 20 pcs.;
• honey – 1.5 tbsp. l.;
• chili pepper – 1 pc.;
• basil - a few leaves;
• chopped dill – 1 tbsp. l.;
• garlic – 2 cloves;
• vinegar - 2 tbsp. l.;
• saffron – 2 strings;
• bay leaf – 2 pcs.;
• peppercorns – 4 pcs.;
• salt – 1 tsp;
• water – 250 ml.

Preparation:

1. Soak the saffron in 50 ml of warm water, wait until the liquid turns color and remove the stigmas.
2. Boil 200 ml of water in a saucepan, throwing in black peppercorns, salt and bay leaf.
3. Add vinegar and saffron solution to the bowl and bring to a boil.
4. Remove the pan from the stove, add honey, stir.
5. Boil quail eggs for 10 minutes, remove shells.
6. Place 1 chopped garlic clove, half chili pepper, half basil and dill in a glass jar.
7. Then put boiled eggs in a jar, and on top the same ingredients as on the bottom.
8. Pour the prepared warm marinade into the jar, close the lid, and let cool.

The snack should be infused in the refrigerator for 2 days. The eggs are tasty and have a beautiful orange color. They can be used to decorate dishes and as a supplement to your daily diet.

Lemon meringue

Ingredients:

• egg whites – 3 pcs.;
• powdered sugar - 0.5 cups;
• lemon – 1/2 pcs.;
• saffron – 2 stigmas.

Preparation:

1. Beat the whites with a mixer until they increase in volume and foam appears.
2. While beating, add powdered sugar little by little.
3. Continue beating until stiff peaks appear.
4. Squeeze the juice from half a lemon and grate the zest.
5. Let the saffron steep in lemon juice. Add the infusion to the whipped whites, mix.
6. Add the zest here and mix again.
7. Using a pastry syringe, pipe the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment.
8. Bake the meringue in the oven at 100° C for one hour.

The result is an airy, aromatic dessert with a pleasant golden color. Meringue can be served with tea and coffee.

Stewed chicken

Ingredients:

• chicken carcass weighing 1.5 kg – 1 piece;
• onions – 1 pc.;
• garlic – 3 cloves;
• butter – 100 g;
• fresh cilantro – 1 bunch;
• hot red pepper and salt - to taste;
• ground coriander – 2/3 tsp;
• chopped saffron - on the tip of a knife.

Preparation:

1. Wash the chicken and cut into portions.
2. Heat a cauldron with 50 g of butter on the stove.
3. Place chicken pieces in a bowl, stir, cover, fry over medium heat until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
4. Place onion, pepper, and salt in a cauldron.
5. After 10-15 minutes, add coriander to the ingredients and add 1 glass of water.
6. In a separate frying pan, melt the remaining butter, add saffron to it and heat for a few seconds.
7. Place the oil-saffron mixture in the cauldron with the chicken and stir.
8. Simmer the dish for 10-15 minutes.
9. Before finishing cooking, add garlic, herbs to the chicken and stir.

Remove the dishes from the heat and let the dish sit for 5-10 minutes. Serve with boiled potatoes, rice or other side dish.

Dishes with saffron are delicious in taste and very aromatic. Cheap analogues of the spice can only give food a golden color. You need to choose an expensive spice carefully so as not to end up buying a fake. Saffron is added to numerous dishes of meat, poultry, fish, vegetables and cereals, as well as drinks and baked goods.