Tag Archives: saffron

03

Jun. ’18

Bahraini Cuisine

Bahrain is an international port and, as such, imports goods from all over the Middle East, India, Pakistan and Africa. Each restaurant in Manama featured a different cuisine and the food markets offered a dazzling selection of bins filled with spice, shelves stocked with oils, dates, honey and staples from around the world.

Spices

But what did the average Bahraini eat? Every meal was served with flatbread, and various small plates of egg dishes, meat dishes (usually chicken or lamb), vegetables (I liked the white beans with cilantro which were very spicy), hummus, tahini, and curries. These dishes were shared among diners. The flatbread was torn into smaller pieces and a spoonful of one of the other items was placed on the flatbread and rolled up. Diners ate this morsel with their right hand, utensils being reserved for serving. The population is predominantly Muslim and alcohol is not served except in larger establishments and hotel restaurants. Thus, diners drink water or fruit juices with their meals and follow the meal with Arabic style (strong) coffee or chai tea.

The area is subject to dust storms of very fine, white silt, which was probably the reason there was not any “street food” per se as there is in other cities of the world. The famed “shwarma” was sold at many establishments along the sidewalk where doors could be slid open to reveal the juicy, marinated chicken and lamb roasting on a spit. This Middle Eastern variation of a wrap was available everywhere for the equivalent of $3 US.

The vast array of available spices is incorporated into most menus. The following recipe is for the Chicken Machboos that we made in our cooking class.

Bahraini Chicken Machboos

Ingredients

¼ c. rose water

¼ t. saffron threads

2 T. melted butter

¼ c. canola oil

Whole spices:

3 star anise

2 black lemons*

2 cinnamon sticks

5 whole cloves

2 bay leaves

5 whole cardamom

Vegetables:

2 medium onions, diced

2 or 3 garlic cloves, minced

½ t. ground ginger

½ c. fresh cilantro, chopped

½ c fresh dill, chopped

1 medium tomato, diced

Remaining spices:

1 T. salt

½ t. black pepper

½ t. cinnamon

½ t. ground cardamom

½ T. turmeric

½ T. paprika

1 T. curry powder

1 t. cumin

1 2-3 lb. chicken, quartered

2 c. basmati rice

4 c. water

Green chili (optional)

Directions

Pour rosewater into a measuring cup and add saffron threads. Cover with plastic wrap and soak for 4 hours or overnight.

In a heavy stock pot or Dutch oven, heat butter and oil over medium high heat. Add whole spices and sauté until you can smell the aroma. Then add onions, garlic and ginger. Fry for about 5 minutes or until golden brown. Add cilantro and dill and stir for one minute. Add the fresh tomato and mix until it softens. Add remaining spices and mix for 3-4 minutes.

Add the chicken and fry for 5 minutes on both sides to lightly brown. Add 4 c. water and bring to boil. Simmer for 40-45 minutes until chicken is cooked. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

Rinse rice with cool water until it is clear. Drain. Add to stockpot. There should be 3 c. water in the stockpot for the 2 c. rice. If not, add more water. Bring to boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the rose water and saffron. Place chicken on top of all other ingredients and continue cooking for 10-15 minutes or until rice is cooked. Garnish with lemon slices. Serves 4-6.

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18

Jun. ’13

Bouillabaisse

Ingredients:

4 lobster tails or 3 whole lobsters, steamed

2 dozen cherrystone clams in shells

1 dozen mussels in shells

1 pound white fish fillet (cod, haddock or halibut)

2 pounds jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 ½ pounds large sea scallops

½ cup olive oil

1 cup onion, diced

½ cup celery, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 -1 lb 12 oz cans of diced tomatoes with juice

1 bay leaf

¼ t. saffron threads

1 ½ t salt

1 t pepper

2 quarts of store-bought fish or chicken stock

Directions:

Prepare seafood. Remove cooked lobster meat from shells and cut into 2-inch pieces and set aside.  Scrub shells of clams and mussels to remove any dirt. Cut fish fillet into 2-inch pieces and set aside. Peel and devein shrimp.  Rinse scallops. Sauté the onion, celery and garlic in olive oil in a large stock pot over medium high heat.  Add tomatoes, bay leaf, saffron and salt and pepper.  Add stock and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 20 minutes or until some of the liquid is reduced to concentrate the flavor.  Add seafood, cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes until fish and scallops are opaque, shrimp is pink, and the mussels and clams are opened wide. Serve with crusty garlic toast, Caesar salad and a crisp white wine, like Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay. Serves 6.

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18

Jun. ’13

Week 4: Saffron

images

Saffron, the world’s most expensive spice, comes from the red stigmas of  an autumn-flowering crocus, Crocus sativus, which ranges in color from a light lilac to a deep violet.  Each flower produces only 3 stigmas and they must be picked by hand. It takes 250,000 stigmas or “threads” to make a pound,  which accounts for why the spice is so expensive by weight.

History

Historically, picking saffron threads was first depicted in Bronze age drawings.  The first written mention of it was in a Greek botanical paper in the 7th century BC, and saffron was mentioned in ancient Chinese texts in 200-300 BC. The stigmas are used for flavoring, dying textiles, perfumes, medicines, and body washes. Alexander the Great used saffron in his baths to cure battle wounds. The first reference to using saffron in cooking was in Persia (Iran). Today Iran and Spain produce approximately 90 percent of the world’s saffron, although Greece, India and Morocco also contribute to production.

Cultivation

Saffron grows best in semi-arid land and climates which offer generous spring rains and hot summers. In the spring, the corms or bulbs are planted 3-6 inches deep in fields where they receive full sunlight. In October, the corm sprouts and the flowers bloom at dawn.  During the day they begin to wilt, and harvesting is very intense as the period when the stigmas can be picked only lasts about two weeks. The stigmas are then dried and graded.

Saffron is graded according to color, taste and flavor according to the International Organization for Standardization. However, many growers, traders and consumers prefer to sample saffron threads for taste, aroma, pliability, and other traits in a manner similar to that used by wine connoisseurs.  The best qualify of saffron is deep red and is called “coupe” for Spanish and Kashmiri saffron, “sargol” for Iranian.  The next grade “Mancha” if Spanish or Kashmiri, or “poshal” or “kayam” if Iranian, has a proportion of thicker, yellow threads mixed in.  Lesser grades have a brownish color and stubby, untidy threads. Occasionally the quality of saffron is adulterated by mixing in extraneous substances like beets, pomegranate fibers, red-dyed silk fibers, or the saffron crocus’s tasteless and odorless yellow stamens. Powdered saffron can be diluted with turmeric or paprika and be sold to unsuspecting buyers at market stalls.

Saffron threads break down chemically when exposed to light and oxygen and therefore must be stored in air-tight containers. To capture the maximum flavor, the threads should be steeped in liquid before use.

Medicinal Uses

Saffron is as important ingredient of large number of Ayurvedic medicines. It is used for acne, apoplexy, arthritis, asthma, colic, cough dyspepsia, insect bites and stings, mental disorders, painful menstruation, and sore throat. It is reported to reduce inflammation and is considered helpful for enlargement of liver and infection of urinary bladder and kidneys. If soaked overnight in water and administered with honey it acts as diuretic. Pounded with ghee it is used in diabetes. Saffron oil is used for external application in uterine sores.

In regulated doses, it is said to increase appetite and to ease headaches and hangovers. Administered in high doses it makes patient unconscious.

Due to presence of crocetin it indirectly helps to reduce cholesterol level in the blood and severity of atherosclerosis, thus reducing the chances of heart attacks. It may be one of the prime reasons that in Spain, where Saffron is consumed liberally, incidence of cardio-vascular diseases is quite low.

 

Culinary Uses

Saffron  is rich in many vital vitamins, including vitamin A, folic acid, riboflavin, niacin, and Vitamin C. It adds a musky, pungent flavor to foods from paella and risotto to bouillabaisse.  In Sweden, saffron buns and cakes are made for the festival of light, St. Lucia’s Day, December 13. Too much saffron in a recipe, however, can make the food taste bitter and medicinal.

 

Resources:

Norman, Jill.  Herbs and Spices: The Cook’s Reference.

Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saffron

http://www.farsinet.com

http://www.royalsaffron.com

 

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02

Feb. ’12

Risotto Milanese

Another recipe that calls for saffron.  This risotto – short grained rice cooked in chicken stock – goes beautifully with the braised leg of lamb and a good Chianti Classico.  Buon apetito!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. Arborio rice

3 T. butter

1 T. olive oil

1 1/2 quarts chicken stock

1/4 t. saffron threads

1/2 c. pecorino romano cheese, grated

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Melt butter and olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add rice and stir to coat rice granules with butter and olive oil. When rice just starts to turn golden (do not brown), begin adding chicken stock, about 1/2 cup at a time, and stir constantly until it is absorbed.  When half the stock has been absorbed, add the saffron. Continue adding chicken stock and stirring until rice is “al dente” – tender, but with a little “bite” or resistance.  Risotto should not be hard, nor mushy, and you have to keep checking it so it doesn’t overcook.  Add cheese and stir to mix it in.  Serves 4-6.

 

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29

Jan. ’12

Bouillabaisse

We traditionally have lobster and Caesar salad for New Year’s Eve but I made bouillabaisse this year.  It was such a hit with family and friends that I will do it from now on. Saffron is the world’s  most expensive spice, but it makes all the difference in this recipe so don’t skip it.  Enjoy!

 Ingredients:

 4 lobster tails or 3 whole lobsters, steamed

2 dozen cherrystone clams in shells

1 dozen mussels in shells

1 pound white fish fillet (cod, haddock or halibut)

2 pounds jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 ½ pounds large sea scallops

½ cup olive oil

1 cup onion, diced

½ cup celery, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 -1 lb 12 oz cans of diced tomatoes with juice

1 bay leaf

¼ t. saffron threads

1 ½ t salt

1 t pepper

2 quarts of store-bought fish or chicken stock

Directions:

Prepare seafood. Remove cooked lobster meat from shells and cut into 2-inch pieces and set aside.  Scrub shells of clams and mussels to remove any dirt. Cut fish fillet into 2-inch pieces and set aside. Peel and devein shrimp.  Rinse scallops. Sauté the onion, celery and garlic in olive oil in a large stock pot over medium high heat.  Add tomatoes, bay leaf, saffron and salt and pepper.  Add stock and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 20 minutes or until some of the liquid is reduced to concentrate the flavor.  Add seafood, cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes until fish and scallops are opaque, shrimp is pink, and the mussels and clams are opened wide. Serve with crusty garlic toast, Caesar salad and a crisp white wine, like Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay. Serves 6.

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