Bright red saffron threads are a versatile herb that you can use to spice up your meals. They add heat to seafood paella and can be steeped in tea or blended into ice cream, giving dishes a warm, golden glow and fragrant aroma. There’s evidence to indicate that saffron has been around since at least 1700 BC. Historically, the plant has been used in medicine and cooking. Plus, its deep orange hue makes for a vivid natural dye to color food and textiles.
The spice comes from the stigmas of the purple saffron crocus, Crocus sativus. Saffron works well in recipes like stew, risotto, seafood dishes, and pasta. Malpua, one of the world’s oldest desserts, is often finished with syrup and a touch of saffron. The vibrant spice is also particularly popular in Iranian, Afghan, Indian, and Moroccan cooking. Saffron can be pretty pricey, but toasting the delicate tendrils in the oven or on your stovetop can enhance the spice and make it easier to grind into a powder. This way, you can disperse the grounds throughout and use a little less per dish.
How to savor saffron
When cooking with saffron, avoid saffron preparation mistakes to ensure you make the most of the spice. Saffron requires heat or liquid to activate it. To get it just right, toast saffron wrapped in foil in a small pan free of oil. Heat lightly on the stovetop for less than a minute, keeping a close watch to avoid burning. Similarly, to toast saffron in the oven, fold the threads in a piece of foil. Stick it in an oven set to 320 degrees for about three minutes.
Toast saffron before incorporating it into a recipe to deepen the spice’s sweet, smokey flavor and infuse meals with balanced, evenly distributed spice. After you heat it in either the oven or in a pan, the stiffened threads will then break down under the force of a mortar and pestle. The vibrant powder you get after is perfect to sprinkle across rice or protein . If you store it in a cool, dry place, saffron powder will keep its flavor for about two years.
