Saffron

     
Saffron Rice

1 cup white rice
2 cups water or chicken stock
1 tablespoon butter or ghee
1 tablespoon minced onion
a few grinds of salt
1 pinch of saffron

Heat up a tablespoon of water in a white ramekin. Put three or four filaments of saffron into a spoon and crush with the back of another spoon. Swish the spoons in the water to get all the saffron into the water and let steep for 15 minutes.

Half of the fun of using saffron is seeing the water turn a beautiful elegant yellow. You will understand why Buddhist monks and royalty chose it as the color for their robes. It looks like a ray of sun has been captured in the liquid. Take a few breaths of the earthy fragrance. In fact, take the time to imagine you are a prince or princess clothed in glorious saffron robes. You feel divine. Your face and being reflect the awesome golden color; you are radiant, the light of the world. As you stand on the palace steps and survey your kingdom, you know you can do wonders for your people. Way off in the distance you see a small cloud of dust on the horizon. It is growing larger by the minute. Your court attendant tells you it is the army and entourage of Alexander the Great making its way toward your city-state. Your kingdom is about to be attacked and dominated. This is a nightmare. Time to quite daydreaming and get back to cooking!

Use a pot that takes a tight cover. Cook the onion in butter or ghee until it turns golden brown. Add the rice and cook for a few minutes until the grains are coated with butter or ghee. Add the water or stock, the saffron water, and salt; if the butter and stock is salted, do not add more salt. Bring to a boil and cook over low heat, covered tightly, for 15 to 18 minutes, until liquid is absorbed.

I use brown rice and do it in a pressure cooker. Use 1 cup of rice and 11/2cups of water. Do everything else the same. When the water boils, cover it and cook it 20 minutes on the lowest band. Let cool down the natural way.

Saffron Chicken

This delicious recipe is adapted from "Saffron Chicken" found in Charmaine Solomon's Encyclopedia of Asian Food.

1 pound of chicken breasts
1 tablespoon of butter or ghee
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
a generous 1/8 teaspoon of ginger
a generous 1/8 teaspoon of cardamom
a pinch of cayenne pepper
a few grinds of salt
a pinch of saffron

Soak crushed or crumbled saffron in a tablespoon of hot water for about 15 minutes. 

Cut each chicken breast into four pieces. Sauté onion and garlic in butter or ghee with ginger, cardamom, and cayenne pepper until the onion is golden brown; don't over cook. Add saffron and mix well. Cook a few minutes more. Then add the chicken and cook turning chicken until each piece is golden. Grind some sea salt over the chicken and cover, cooking over moderate heat for 10 minutes. Uncover pan and cook until liquid evaporates. Total cooking time for the chicken should be about 15 minutes. I don't bother covering the chicken as it cooks, but it will keep the onions more moist. Serve with rice; the saffron rice above goes well with it.

Saffron Tea

When you add the tea to the hot water, also add a filament or two of saffron depending on the amount of liquid. It gives green tea color and a nice savory edge. Experiment with a little cardamom and honey too. As you drink the tea, imagine you are Genghis Kahn making your way across the southern plains of China. As you stand outside your tent sipping your tea, off in the distance you can see . . . .

Vanns Saffron Threads