[Sca-cooks] Novice Saffron User

[Randy Goldberg MD]

> > I am now the lucky owner of 1 gram of saffron threads (yay!!) and am at
> > a loss with where to start or what to do with it. I've never used
> > saffron before (always stayed away from it - spendy!) and would
> > appreciate any tips or a good beginner recipe for it (mind you, a good
> > "example" of saffron in a dish - I'm not a novice cook ;-) )
>
> What about paella?  That's the first thing that leaps to mind for me when
I
> think of saffron....

Me too, and the second is risotto alla Milanese.... this one is adapted from
Linda Fraser's "Vegetarian Cooking".

2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1  finely grated lemon, zest of
1 teaspoon saffron strands
2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
2/3 cup dry white wine
4 cups vegetable stock
parmesan cheese, shavings topping
salt & freshly ground black pepper

Mix together the garlic, parsley, and lemon zest in a bowl. Set aside. Put
the saffron in a small bowl with 1 tbsp boiling water and let stand while
saffron is infused. Melt the butter in a heavy frying pan, and gently sweat
the onion until soft and golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice and cook
for about 2 minutes, until it becomes translucent. Add the wine and saffron
mixture and cook for several minutes until all the wine is absorbed. Add 2
1/2 cups of the stock to the pan, and simmer gently until the stock is
absorbed, stirring frequently. Gradually add more stock, a ladle at a time,
until the rice is tender. (The rice may be tender and creamy before you've
added all the stock, so add it slowly toward the end of the cooking time.)
Season the risotto with the salt and pepper and transfer to a serving dish.
Sprinkly lavishly with shavings of Parmesan cheese and the garlic and
parsley mixture.


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