Any good Saffron recipes?

I have quite a bit of saffron that I'd like to put to good use. I have had some wonderful dishes when dinning out but never gone beyond saffron rice myself. If you have a dish that really emphasizes saffron, I'd love to hear from you.

I also have nice saffron but, alas, I can't find it.

risotto Milanese
paella Valenciana
bouillabaise
rice pulao (Persian rice)

Also, taking good, fresh scallops, quickly sauteeing them in butter then deglazing with a high acid white wine and some saffron threads, followed by 5 minutes of reduction and throwing all of it over some angel hair pasta doesn't suck, either. It's one of the better matches for Viognier that I've ever had.

Mark Lipton

Mark, those are all rice dishes! (Well, except for that last pasta one... which sounds really intriguing!)

Also a saffron fan here...here's one of my favorites. I usually use extra saffron in the recipe.

SCALLOPS WITH HAM AND BREAD CRUMBS

This is a Portuguese dish. I have made it with a sturdy white fish, like cod, instead of the scallops and had it turn out great. A good wine pairing is an Orvieto Classico or a Vernaccia di San Gimignano.

Ingredients
1 lb (500 gms) sea scallops, drained
½ cup (125 ml) minced onion
1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
¾ tbsp (12 ml) minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 ½ tbsp (37½ ml) minced cured ham, such as proscuitto or serrano
¼ tsp (1 ml) crumbled saffron threads
2 tbsp (30 ml) dry white wine
¼ tsp (1 ml) white wine vinegar
⅛ tsp (2½ ml) dried thyme
⅛ tsp (2½ ml) red pepper flakes
freshly ground white pepper
salt to taste
for the topping:
¾ cup (180 ml) fresh bread crumbs (about 2 slices of bread, processed down to crumbs)
¼ tsp (1 ml) sweet paprika
¾ tsp (4 ml) chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400º F (200º C).
2. In a bowl, toss together scallops, onion, olive oil, parsley, ham, saffron, wine, vinegar, thyme (rubbed between the palms of your hand as you add it), pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste. Place mixture in a buttered shallow baking or gratin dish.
3. Mix together all topping ingredients. Spoon evenly over the scallop mixture. Bake in pre-heated oven for 15 minutes.

Serves 2 as a main course.

Recipe adapted from Gourmet magazine (March 1991).
cheers, Bonnie

Thanks Mark and Bonnie. I'll be trying both of your suggestions!
JP

I recommend this recipe for Indian Kesari Pullao:

http://wineloverspage.com/forum/village/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=8644

-Paul W.

And, if you enjoy black tea, try steeping your tea with 2 - 3 strands of saffron as do many Turks. Can be absolutely lovely.

Best
Rogov

I don't have the recipe but my mother in law makes a mean Chicken and Rice.....basically we're talking saffron rice with carrots, some other veggies and a chopped up chicken. It's a pretty standard latin American meal, at least it is in her family!

Mark,

Sounds like what they call a purloo south of the Mason-Dixon line.

-Paul W.

I like kulfi, an Indian frozen dessert flavored with saffron.