Off the Shelf
Saffron can give a dish incomparable color, aroma
By Wanda A. Adams
Advertiser Food Editor
In Indian cuisine, saffron is the ingredient that gives rice pilaf its bright marigold color. In Spanish paella, the saffron-tinted rice provides a background in both flavor and color for the rich meats and seafoods that nestle among the grains. In French bouillabaisse, saffron colors the broth, and its slightly dry, astringent flavor balances the salty tang of the seafood. Still, this ingredient is a mystery to all but the most sophisticated home cooks because it's too expensive for most of us to use very often.
Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser
Saffron, the stigmas from a particular variety of purple crocus grown in the Middle East, is hand-picked (14,000 to the ounce) and is the most expensive spice in the world.
While saffron is more expensive than any other spice, you use it in far smaller quantities than many flavoring agents.
At R. Field, eight thousandths of an ounce of saffron — a few precious crimson strands — costs $3.49. At Strawberry Connection, a few grams in an envelope costs $4.50. Fortunately, a few grams are generally all you need of this pungent spice.
In her new book, "Burst of Flavor, The Fine Art of Cooking with Spices," Kusuma Cooray of Honolulu offers a saffron rice recipe that illustrates how to use the spice:
1/4 teaspoon of saffron is first soaked in 1 tablespoon of water. Meanwhile, wash 1 1/2 cups of basmati rice, soak it in cold water for 25 minutes, drain and saute with 3 tablespoons of melted butter and half of a finely chopped small onion. Add the saffron, 2 1/2 cups chicken stock and 1 teaspoon salt. Toss in a sachet made by tying in cheesecloth 8 black peppercorns, 4 cardamom pods, 4 whole cloves, a 2-inch piece of cinnamon stick and 1 teaspoon crushed ginger. Bring to a boil; stir once, cover and steam over low heat. Serve with a topping of blanched slivered almonds, golden raisins and sliced yellow onions that have been briefly sauteed in olive oil.
