How should I use saffron?

December 25, 2008 6:57 PM

How should I use saffron?

My parents brought me back some saffron from Spain. I have plenty of recipes where I have always just used turmeric as a substitute for color. Given how expensive it is, I want to make something(s) where we will really taste an improvement. Restriction: I'm vegetarian.

posted by a robot made out of meat to food & drink (18 comments total)

I've always liked using it in paella, but you can make a vegetarian risotto recipe with it which is also delicious, just use veggie stock instead of chicken stock and it's still plenty rich.
posted by jessamyn at 7:05 PM on December 25, 2008

You can make a fantastic vegetarian paella (use artichoke hearts instead of seafood) and saffron is essential for that. Certain Moroccan tagines also depend on saffron for their flavor, and I have made several delicious vegetable ones. Also, don't restrict yourself from using saffron more frequently. Although it is very expensive per pound, just a little pinch is enough.
posted by Salvor Hardin at 7:06 PM on December 25, 2008

Saffron is great for adding to rice. The Indian dish called Biryani often contains saffron to color and flavor the rice.
posted by ijoshua at 7:07 PM on December 25, 2008

whatever you do, before adding saffron to whatever you are cooking, dissolve it in a few tablespoons of boiling water. just take a pinch of the saffron, rub it between your fingers to break the threads up a bit, place it in a cup and pour the hot water over it. then it's ready to add to the cooking pot.

if you add saffron directly to a dish that has oil or butter in it it won't release its flavor or color properly.

also, make sure you store it away from light and heat.

you can use it to flavor milk based puddings too.

enjoy!
posted by subatomiczoo at 7:44 PM on December 25, 2008

I worked in a spice store and importer, and got a big enough discount that I bought (and cooked with) a lot of saffron (amongst many other exotic spices). But, since leaving that job, I haven't used it once. I tend to use either safflower or, far more frequently, turmeric.

I know that a lot of people will disagree with me, but I don't think that saffron has much flavor at all--and I've had the shit from Iran, days after it was imported. It's especially got no flavor when you put in the amounts generally asked for in western recipes. This is the reason that you're more apt to find rice and potato dishes than, say, venison. It isn't expensive because it's so awesome; it's expensive because you get three threads of saffron per crocus, and you have to pick it by hand. Its expense then drives up the demand for it as an exotic, luxury spice--it's "exclusive".

Saffron's main use is more coloring than flavor. That's why you'll see recipes calling for half a thread or whatever. I promise you that, against the clams and other spices in paella, you aren't tasting the saffron. You do, however, see it. And appearance is certainly important to food.

In my experimentation, I found that it works well in just about any bland dish whatsoever. Its flavor is so subtle you can throw it in just about anything without fear of hurting it--hell, I've used it in cake icing for the color. Rice, potatoes (saffron mashed potatoes are pretty excellent), and cauliflower were my favorites. One problem I always had, though, was offering other, strongly flavored, dishes along with those. If you've got my Mustard and Cumin Tofu sitting next to my Saffron Long-grain Pilaf, by the time you'd had three bites of the tofu, the saffron was totally undetectable in the pilaf.

You'll also find heavy saffron use in middle eastern and Indian cooking. There, it's frequently mixed with other, synergetic spices: turmeric and coriander pop to mind.
posted by Netzapper at 7:47 PM on December 25, 2008 [2 favorites]

I was just going to type out what subatomiczoo just posted. Definitely dissolve the saffron before use. In my experience doing exactly the opposite, I ended up with very inconsistent color and flavor throughout the dish, which to me was not particularly appealing.

The only other comment I have is to not overdue saffron. It is pretty potent stuff and some people think it tastes like dirt. I find that just five or six threads is enough for a fairly large dish.
posted by saeculorum at 7:47 PM on December 25, 2008

I put in a few threads when I'm cooking basmati rice for a special occasion. It adds a lovely, nutty scent and flavor, not to mention the color.
posted by marsha56 at 8:04 PM on December 25, 2008

Yes, steep in a small amount of hot water first.

I disagree with its lack of flavor: it is intensely flavored for me.

Vegetarian (ovo-lacto) options:

1. Vegetarian paella (as mentioned)
2. Couscous (put threads in the water you boil)
3. Challah
4. Swedish sweet egg bread (forgot name)
5. Ice cream (from scratch)
posted by quarantine at 8:04 PM on December 25, 2008

I used it all the time in Moroccan cooking - and for me, I agree with quarantine, it has an intense flavor. It also can be too much of a good thing - I liked it so much that I used too much on a couple of occasions, and the food almost had a bitter taste.

I can't remember the exact recipe, but I believe it was for chicken - they take a few (2-3) threads of saffron, and grind them up with some salt. However, I think the saffron was mainly used to flavor the couscous/golden raisin/almond mixture that the chicken was stuffed with - you could make something like that.
posted by HopperFan at 8:41 PM on December 25, 2008 [1 favorite]

I recently made scarlet runner beans with saffron and farro risotto. The beans are a variety we grew in our garden last year; you could substitute some other dried bean, but you should choose a flavorful one if you can -- that is, not just white beans. Check your Italian imports store. The grain, farro (aka emmer), is also Italian and I like it because there is a farmer here in Washington who grows it. You could use regular arborio rice and make it a true risotto, or you might be able to find farro somewhere near you. If you can, I recommend it. But watch out, it's not spelt. See the rest of that thread, or check AskMes, for other possible substitutions. (I could swear I saw that FPP'd, but I can't find it now. Anyone?)

Anyway I guess this ends up back at "saffron is good with rice or a rice-type thing, plus some other crap," but this dish turned out very tastily when I made it.
posted by librarina at 9:09 PM on December 25, 2008

I think saffron has a slight metallic taste. It's enhanced by thyme or oregano and paprika. There is a terrific recipe for a potato, onion and tofu frittata in Vegan with a Vengence that uses it. Also, I make rice to go with enchiladas with saffron:

Yellow Rice

1/2 teaspoon olive oil
3/4 cups long grain white rice
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon paprika or turmeric
1-1/2 cups vegetable broth.

In a 2-quart saucepan with a lid, stir together the olive oil and rice. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Uncover, fluff with a fork, and allow to stand for a minute or two to before serving.

Serves 3-4.
posted by zinfandel at 9:43 PM on December 25, 2008

I know that a lot of people will disagree with me, but I don't think that saffron has much flavor at all--and I've had the shit from Iran, days after it was imported. It's especially got no flavor when you put in the amounts generally asked for in western recipes.

Netzapper, if you used chili powder, or cloves, or oregano, in the same amounts, there wouldn't be much flavor there, either. Try using the weight-equivalent of a few flower stamens of coursely-ground black pepper sometimes - about a half a peppercorn or so...

I don't use the paltry amounts asked for in western recipes; I generally use half or all the container at once. It's definitely, by weight, one of the strongest spices in my cabinet.

However, I'll agree that the coloring it provides has an important impact on the food's perceived taste.
posted by IAmBroom at 10:56 PM on December 25, 2008

Saffran is used quite a bit here in Sweden. Here is a recipe for the saffron buns mentioned earlier:
http://www.sweden.se/templates/cs/CommonPage____12957.aspx

Absolutly stir some into a good vanilla icecream, or indead just whipped cream. Try it with some ginger in a pasta sauce with seafood (or veggie equivelant). Try flavouring some vodka with a little, or some warmed wine, and so on.
posted by Iteki at 3:32 AM on December 26, 2008

I am bad, I use it to cook and as part of scent packs for my dresser. Saffron and cedar make for an interesting scent mark.

Cooking wise, I can definitely taste it and it veers to untasty pretty quick for me. I use it for rice, milk based dishes and for cuisines that traditionally use it such as, Persian and Indian. I also use it as part of a mussels recipe with tomatoes (Barefoot Contessa recipe.)
posted by jadepearl at 4:50 AM on December 26, 2008

OKAY. SAFFRON.

Saffron is for lucia buns (lusekatter) and for saffron muffins and for saffron cake.
posted by beerbajay at 6:05 AM on December 26, 2008

I just steamed some artichokes, and when I was preparing the dip (usually mayonnaise, lemon juice, vinegar, ground pepper), on a whim I threw in a little crumbled saffron. It worked very well, perhaps because the saffron was "raw", and kept its taste (and its amazingly pungent smell). Do any of you know if you can overcook saffron? I seem to remember someone telling me once to put the saffron in a dish LAST, but I see recipes that call for you to simmer the stew containing saffron for a long time.
posted by acrasis at 6:55 AM on December 26, 2008

Swedish saffron bread
posted by lysdexic at 7:41 AM on December 26, 2008

I use saffron a lot, and brought back a huge bag of it when I went to Morocco last year. I throw it into a lot of things like rice, couscous, tagine as others have mentioned, and it's tasty. That being said, there is one recipe I've tried where the saffron flavor permeates the dish, and it's the most delicious thing ever. It's the recipe for perciatelli with roasted tomatoes, garlic, and saffron, in Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. It's a good vegetarian cookbook, so you should own it if you don't already! If you don't want to buy it though, you can email me and I'll type it up for you. It's amazing. It's a pretty simple recipe, involved roasting roma tomatoes with garlic and olive oil, then pulsing them in a food processor with saffron, and tossing the sauce with pasta, parsley, and breadcrumbs, but it's so much more delicious than it sounds.
posted by booknerd at 10:03 AM on December 26, 2008