How to use Saffron

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otuatail

Senior Cook
Joined
Nov 3, 2015
Messages
235
Location
York (UK)
I was thinking of getting saffron from Amazon as I was interested in it seen chefs use it on TV. I never got around to using it as I did not know the best ways to use it and it smells odd. To make matters worse, it was on a repeat subscription and now I have two. I am going to need help on the best kind of recipes,. I love spicy food like curry and I like creamy food like chicken supreme. I also like coq au vin. I wont give a list but a general idea here so any help with quantities etc.

I think i have 3 repeat orders coming in now so help me please.
 
Saffron is very potent. A couple strands is usually all that's needed in home recipes. It also adds a beautiful orange-yelly color to your recipes. The flavor is similar to turmeric, but with hints of almost a smoky tobacco flavor.

Saffron is pricey, but can be had on Ebay much cheaper than at your local grocers. Besides curries, it's good in chowders, homemade creaam of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup, ground, and add to spice mixtures, etc. Play with it. Add it to mashed potatoes, or gravy. Put some in your lentil soup, or in dahll. Add to a cassoulet. Just don't put it in your strawberry milkshake LOL. But saffron does play a roll in many deserts. Also, two classics I forgot to mention, saffron rice, and saffron risoto are must make recipes.

The Saveure sight (spelling), online, has a host of reay nice recipes. Just google best recipes for saffron.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
 
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As chief mentioned a little goes a long way and too much goes from a floral essence to mediciney.

Personally, I don't think turmeric and saffron taste anything alike. Turmeric doesn't taste like much of anything to me. They both do give a sort of slightly tinted orange golden color to your dish.

Saffron is nearly always put in some kind of warm liquid to release the taste and color.

You should be able to cancel the subscription orders. Look at your order details and see. I've canceled repeat orders before.
 
Talking about saffron. I have come across something called "American saffron". It has coarser filaments. I have read warnings that this is not the one you want in a recipe that calls for saffron. It is a fair bit cheaper than Spanish saffron. I wonder if it tastes like turmeric, which I agree, does not have much flavour.
 
I ran into a similar issue last year.
Ive come across many recipes ( mostly rice) that called for saffron over the years. I tried it once or twice and wasn't really thrilled. Not that I didnt like it, I just didnt see what the big deal was. I chalked it off as a been there, done that kinda thing.

Last year while looking through some garden catalogues, I came across some Saffron crocus bulbs. I decided to purchase them for the heck of it. Its was about bulbs, which all bloomed and I plucked out he saffron threads from each of them, which basically gave me enough to cook one dish with ( a pinch once dried).

I was hoping he saffron I had freshly picked would have aa better taste than the stuff I had purchased, and was likely on the shelf for who knows how long.

I made a rice dish, the color was great, but the taste was just OK. Once again, I wasn't blown away by the flavor, and honestly, I didnt see what the big deal was. Sometimes there are things that I dont like, but I can see how people love it. With this, I just dont get it . Definitely not worth the price IMHO.

Not trying to discourage anyone from trying it, I just wasnt every impressed .

All the being said, Im hoping the bulbs bloom again this year, cause I will harvest and try it again if they do.
 

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There are all kinds of knock offs of saffron. You just have to be careful and buy from a reputable source. And remember the old saying of you get what you pay for.

The more red in the saffron threads, the better it is.

Then there is the everybody has different tastes. I love truffles, but there are members here that feel they taste like dirt.

I'd look for Spanish and Persian recipes.
 
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