Using high quality infused saffron releases a golden-yellow colour and an exotic aroma to your dish, which can make an impressive difference to the taste of your cooking.
In this page we offer our favourite recipes using saffron.
We hope you like them as much as we do!
Australian Fruits of the Sea in a Saffron Broth
(Pictured above)
Serves 6 people
Created by Lucas for Tas-Saff
Ingredients:
- 100-200mg infused Tas-Saff saffron threads (to taste)
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 brown onion, diced
- 1 fennel bulb, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- Chilli to taste
- Zest and juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 300ml dry white wine
- 300ml of quality fish stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 200ml double cream
- 1 kg mussels, de-bearded
- 2 squid tubes, cut into 1cm thick rings
- 300g sugar snap peas
- 1 tsp fresh thyme or 1/3 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 18 scallops, patted dry with paper towel
- 18 king prawns
- 400g white fish, cut into 3cm pieces
- McKenzie’s sea salt and freshly ground pepper for seasoning
- Fresh herbs to garnish (e.g. parsley, dill, chives)
Method:
1. Heat 2tbsp of the butter in a medium saucepan and gently cook onion and fennel with garlic and chilli until softened.
2. Add lemon zest and 250ml of the white wine. Bring to the boil and allow to reduce slightly.
3. Add the fish stock and bay leaf, bring back to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for a further 5-10 minutes.
4. Add the infused saffron and double cream to the broth and reheat gently without boiling.
5. Meanwhile, place the mussels, squid and sugar snap peas in a large stockpot together with the remaining 50ml of wine, lemon juice, half the thyme and 1tbsp olive oil. Cover tightly with a lid and cook over high heat for 4 minutes or until mussels open. Remove from the heat.
6. Heat remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan. Lightly season scallops and cook on each side until golden. Remove from pan and set aside.
7. Lightly season king prawns and fry for two minutes on each side. Add the fish to the pan and cook for a further 3 minutes.
8. Return the scallops to the pan with remaining 1 tbsp of butter and the rest of the thyme. Cook for a further 30 seconds and remove from the heat.
9. Divide the seafood evenly amongst 6 serving bowls.
10. Add the liquid from the mussel pot to the saffron broth and adjust seasoning to taste. Ladle the broth and vegetables over the seafood in the bowls.
11. Garnish with fresh herbs and serve with crusty bread or your favourite pasta.
Preparation
Where do I start?
To unlock the fantastic colour, full flavour, capacity and aroma of Tas-Saff saffron, it must be infused in warm water for 24 hours. The resultant liquid is then used in cooking.
A little goes a very long way
Only 100mg of Tas-Saff saffron is needed to flavour and colour a dish for four to eight people. Many other saffron producers recommend 500mg to achieve the same result. The reason for this is because Tas-Saff maintains only the highest quality of saffron in its products and many of the other saffron products being marketed worldwide are of a lower or mixed quality saffron.
Alternative preparations
Although saffron is water soluble, it can be infused into alcohols, acidic liquids and cold water preparations, and threads will continue to release their flavour and aromas for up to 24 hours.
Due to its nature, it is not recommended that saffron is added to oils, butters and fats in your preparation, and that whisks are avoided in culinary preparation to prevent tangling in wires and the failure to fully release flavours.
Saffron Poached Pears
Ingredients:
- 4-8 peeled Verbose or similar pears. Cores removed, optional
- 1 Litre water
- 750 g caster sugar
- ½ vanilla bean
- 10 cardamon pods (crushed)
- 100 milligrams Tas-Saff saffron
- 1 small stick cinnamon
Method:
Combine all the above ingredients and gently poach pears until tender for around 2 hours. Leave to exchange flavours overnight. Ensure pears remain immersed in liquid.
Remove pears, and then reduce syrup to a sticky glaze.
Pour glaze over pears and serve with ice cream or cream.
Remember to bottle the leftover syrup to enjoy as a topping on your favourite ice cream!
Saffron Rice
Serves 4 to 6 people.
Ingredients:
- 50 – 100mg Tas-Saff saffron
- One and a half cups of Australian long grain rice
- 20 grams butter
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 3 cups of heated liquid chicken stock
Method:
Remove lid from Tas-Saff saffron vial and fill with warm water. Leave to infuse for 24 hours.
Use a heavy saucepan with a tight fitting lid. Prepare saffron as per instructions below.
Heat butter and oil in a deep saucepan and cook onion until soft without colouring.
Add rice and cook for a further minute, stirring all the time to ensure the rice is well coated with butter and oil. Stir in about 3/4 of a cup of stock then add your saffron infusion, stir and mix well. Add the remainder of stock ensuring that all the saffron is rinsed out of the cup. Stir well, then cover tightly and cook gently for 20 minutes.
Remove lid and stand for a few minutes to let steam escape. Turn rice with a fork to fluff up and serve.