FRC: I purchased my first saffron from Penzy's - what would you make?

C

colleenmomof2

Well-known member
There are so many recipes, I don't know where to start. I've had saffron rice before but I can't remember anything else that I've eaten that tasted of saffron. I'd love your suggestions! Colleen

 
When I think Saffron, I think Paella. I do not have a rec to recomend, but would suggest, Not rec:

Epi's Birthday paella. I tried it a few times with poor results.

 
SAFFRON MUSSELS

SAFFRON MUSSELS

"Serve with crusty French bread."

I saute the shallots with some garlic, and serve this over linguine, garnished with fresh parsley.

INGREDIENTS:
4 lbs ( 2 kg) mussels (I used 3 lbs)
1 tbsp ( 15 mL) butter (I used about 3 Tbsp)
1/4 to 1/2 cup ( 50 to 125 mL) finely chopped shallots (I used 1/2 cup)
1 cup ( 250 mL) dry white wine
generous pinches of saffron threads or 1/4 to 1/2 tsp (1 to 2 mL) ground saffron

DIRECTIONS:

1. Scrub mussels under cool running water and remove any beards. Discard mussels that won't close when gently tapped.

2. Heat butter in a large wide saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté for 5 minutes. Add wine and saffron. Boil gently, uncovered and stirring often, for 5 minutes.

3. Add mussels to pan, cover and boil gently, stirring occasionally until mussels open, about 5 to 6 minutes. Discard any mussels that have not opened.

Makes 2 main-course servings

From Chatelaine

 
Can use it in chicken, rice, couscous, soup, etc. Recipe to check out: Saffron Couscous

SAFFRON COUSCOUS

Earthy saffron is lifted by peppery green onions in this quick side dish. Serve with the halibut to soak up the tasty juices.

2 1/4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups uncooked couscous
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup chopped green onion tops

Bring broth to a simmer in a small saucepan. Add saffron, stirring to dissolve. Cover and keep warm.

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add couscous; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add broth mixture, hot sauce, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil. Cover, remove from heat, and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork; stir in onions.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2/3 cup)

Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2004

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=701087

 
REC: Lemony Moroccan-Style Chicken Kebabs

LEMONY MOROCCAN-STYLE CHICKEN KEBABS

(I posted this here, and several people tried it and liked it. Melissa Dallas recommends increasing the marinade ingredients and adding some smoked paprika or harissa, plus adding minced garlic to the yogurt sauce. She cooked the thighs whole and put the veggies in a grill basket).

"Microwaving the lemons is a quick method for giving them the flavor of preserved lemons."

INGREDIENTS:

For the marinade:
2 lemons
6 cloves garlic, peeled
2 1/8-inch-thick slices peeled fresh ginger
1 tsp. dried marjoram
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
Pinch saffron threads
1 tsp. light brown sugar
2-1/2 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbs. olive oil

For the kebabs:
2-1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 2-inch chunks
1 sweet onion (like Vidalia), cut into 1-inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch squares
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1-inch squares
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley for garnish

For the Yogurt-Lemon Sauce:
1 seedless cucumber, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 cups plain whole-milk yogurt
Kosher salt

DIRECTIONS:

Make the marinade:

Cut four deep, lengthwise gashes, equally spaced, into each lemon. Put the lemons and garlic cloves in a small microwavable container. Cover and microwave on high until the lemons are soft and juice has exuded from them, about 4 min. (If not soft, continue to microwave in 30-second intervals). Strain the juice into a small container and let the lemons and garlic cool briefly. When the lemons are cool enough to handle, separate them into sections. Scrape the pulp and most of the white pith away with a spoon; discard. Put the scraped lemon peels, garlic, lemon juice, and remaining marinade ingredients in a blender and purée to make a coarse, soft paste. Set 2 Tbs.aside to use for the yogurt sauce.

Marinate the chicken:

Put the chicken into a 1-gallon zip-top bag; scrape in the remaining marinade. Massage the bag to coat all the chicken pieces and marinate for 1 to 2 hours in the refrigerator.

Grill the kebabs:

Tip: Flat or double-pronged skewers keep food from spinning when you turn them.

Build a medium-hot charcoal fire or heat a gas grill to medium high. Dump the chicken into a bowl, but don’t scrape off any excess marinade. Put the onion and peppers in the marinade bag and massage them to coat with the marinade (it’s fine if the onion pieces break apart). Transfer to another bowl. Thread the chicken onto skewers, positioning a piece of onion and pepper between the pieces of chicken. If there’s extra pepper or onion, thread them onto separate skewers, if you like.

When ready to grill, oil the grill grate. Grill the kebabs over direct heat (uncovered for charcoal; covered for gas), turning the skewers every 2 to 3 min. until the chicken is firm and shows no redness when cut into, about 10 to 15 min. Check several pieces of chicken to be sure.

Make the sauce:

Combine the reserved 2 Tbs. marinade with the cucumber, cilantro, yogurt, and 2 tsp. salt. Mix well. (Make the sauce no more than an hour before serving or it will be too watery).

To serve:

Remove the chicken and vegetables from the skewers and serve them in a mound with the yogurt sauce on the side.

Serves 6

From Fine Cooking 72, pp. 53

http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/lemony-moroccan-chicken-kebabs.aspx

 
Ever since I posted this, I've wanted to make it, but I never have pomegranate seeds around!

 
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