Saffron

[Cheryl J]

My choice would be to just leave it out or choose another recipe rather than coloring the dish. Who are you fooling??

We all have differing opinions and choices. That's what makes this a great forum.

 

[medtran49]

You can buy it in very small quantities in the grocery. A home cook.is not going to use that much or that often. We usually get 3 uses out of the container that's around 5ish dollars. It's not like you have to buy 1 of those containers that a chef would use that costs 100s to 1000s. it has a very definite flavor and, as I wrote, you have to be judicious or you end up with food that tastes like medicine.

 

[skilletlicker]

My choice would be to just leave it out or choose another recipe rather than coloring the dish. Who are you fooling??

In your previous post the insult was merely implied. I see we have moved past that.
The use of achiote seeds and, as GG noted turmeric, is very commonplace in Caribbean and Latin American cooking as well as other cuisines. I don't think anyone is trying to fool anybody, although some fools may reveal themselves.

One of the biggest influences on my cooking was the Daisy Martinez' Daisy Cooks PBS series and associated cookbook of the same name, which I mentioned here earlier. So that influenced my comments in this thread and most of my posts in this forum for that matter. It is not an attempt to fool you, good sir. I cook for myself after all.

More could be said, but why throw gas on the fire. I know you won't be able to resist the need for the last word but I'm finished with it.

 

[Andy M.]

...Will use achiote oil, annatto seeds & olive oil, for color knowing full well the taste is completely different.

This is the quote I was referring to. Has nothing to do with the authenticity of the other ingredients or Daisy Martinez.

If you're cooking for yourself, why would you alter the taste of the dish just to make the color right?

 

[blissful]

I love my spices and herbs, but, saffron probably won't make my everyday list or even my special occasion list. Nor truffles.

Here is a cool thing, though, one of my friends that gardens a lot, he planted saffron crocuses for a fall harvest and is going to harvest his own saffron. That is so cool. If I came into possession of some of the right kind of crocuses, well, I'd be tempted to give it a go.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Here you go, bliss:

Growing and Harvesting Saffron Crocus

And two links for buying bulbs:

https://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/910891-product.html

https://www.dutchgrown.com/products/crocus-sativus

You can buy it in very small quantities in the grocery...

I get the small bottles from Trader Joe's. Last time I bought it I paid about $5, and I've gotten three uses so far. I think there is enough left for one more nice-sized pot of soup.

 

[caseydog]

Sounds like a tasty recipe but cooking 2" cubes of beef for 5-6 hours is a bit of overkill.

The recipe calls for chuck roast. That needs a good slow cook to get tender.

CD

 

[Andy M.]

The recipe calls for chuck roast. That needs a good slow cook to get tender.

CD

Yes, I realize that but 5-6 hours is more than enough to cook a whole 5 pound chuck roast. Two-inch cubes would take a lot less than 5-6 hours.

 

[buckytom]

Wait, annato/achiote and saffron are two entirely different beasts.

They taste nothing at all like each other. They also give most foods a different hue. Close, but no cigar.

I need to go back and read this over.

 

[msmofet]

Saffron, like fleur de sel and white truffles, is just too expensive for me.
Will use achiote oil, annatto seeds & olive oil, for color knowing full well the taste is completely different.

Trader Joe's Saffron is reasonably priced. And you don't need much in a recipe. I never bought or used it till I found it at TJ's. Give it a try if you have a TJ near you.

 

[skilletlicker]

Adiós

Folks, mainline it for all I care.

Yo ya no aguanto más.

 

[CakePoet]

High quality saffron and Good quality saffron is cheap in Sweden at around Christmas. I think I have a bag or two left here, still good and yes the flavour is amazing. The closes to saffron flavour you can get is actually British Mixed spice, blind folded, my friends couldn't says if it was cheap saffron or mixed spice, it just high quality you cant fool.

I wish I could give you some.

 

[Sagittarius]

Medtran49 - Thank you.

we've made Mini Meatballs in Saffron Sauce Recipe | Bon Appetit several times as part of a tapas meal.

Lovely idea ..

Thank you for your feedback ..

 

[Sagittarius]

Skilletickler

Saffron, like fleur de sel and white truffles, is just too expensive for me.
Will use achiote oil, annatto seeds & olive oil, for color knowing full well the taste is completely different.

Thank you for your feedbacK.

Every year, Castilla La Mancha in Spain, Spain´s desgination of origin for Saffron has its harvest festivities ..

With this is mind, a client of mine, is a producer and befriended a lovely gift and therefore, the question ..

Have a nice day ..

 

[Sagittarius]

Gotgarlic

Persian Jeweled Rice - Jeweled Rice Recipe | Bon Appetit

Yes, I am a grand fan of Classic Persian, Irani cuisine. They have true jewels for rices ..

Thank you for the link.

Have a lovely day ..

 

[medtran49]

Persian Jeweled Rice - Jeweled Rice Recipe | Bon Appetit

Missed this in all of Irma drama. What do you serve with it?

 

[Sagittarius]

Cake Poet

High quality saffron and Good quality saffron is cheap in Sweden at around Christmas. I think I have a bag or two left here, still good and yes the flavour is amazing. The closes to saffron flavour you can get is actually British Mixed spice, blind folded, my friends couldn't says if it was cheap saffron or mixed spice, it just high quality you cant fool.

I wish I could give you some.

Cake Poet,

Thank you for your feedback ..

I have just returned from Castilla La Mancha´s ( I am from Barcelona
and live there ) and attended the festivities of the harvest ..

A Client bestowed me with a little gift of his saffran ( bio - organic) and I had also purchased some .. It is sold pure and in "threads" .. No mixed spices ..

So, there are just so many Paellas and Milanese Rice dishes one can prepare and so I was looking for ideas to use saffron in other dishes ..


Thank you but if i were to buy a U.K. import that they imported as well, I would be paying more for the product than it costs me to go to Castilla La Mancha from Barcelona and have the real thing verses a mix of spices with saffron .. ( Fly to Madrid is 30 Euros one way and 30 Euros to return ).
From Madrid, there is a train to La Mancha .. or a bus ..

And a hotel for 1 night ..

Still cheaper than buying imported Saffron which is very limited and expensive in comparison to Spain, as we ( Spain ) are producers of Saffron ..

Have a lovely evening ..

 

[Sagittarius]

Skilletickler - Threads of Saffran

Out of idle curiosity, how do you measure 1 teaspoon of saffron threads? Pack them down into the spoon?

The classic Paella here in Barcelona or Valencian Levante regións, call for 12 saffron threads and they are soaked in ice wáter for no more than 10 minutes and then, one pours the saffran wáter with the threads into the rice in the pallera pan ..

I have never measured "threads of saffron " and I have been preparing paellas for years as my family as well ..

 

[GotGarlic]

Missed this in all of Irma drama. What do you serve with it?

It's been a while since I made it. I served it with roasted chicken but I don't remember how I seasoned it. The rice was very good, though.

 

[Sagittarius]

Cake Poet - Tagines

Curries, chicken dishes and lamb dishes. I also have it in desserts, cakes, rolls and cookies.

Yes, I was thinking of a fish Tagine ..

Thanks alot ..