Braised Apples With Saffron Recipes

BRAISED APPLES WITH SAFFRON AND CIDER

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallot, and cook, stirring often, until soft, about 4 minutes. Add apples, and turn to coat. Stir in saffron, stock, cider, sherry, and currants, and season with salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and cover. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until apples are tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer apples to a bowl. Raise heat to medium-high, and cook sauce until reduced by half, about 10 minutes more. Season with pepper. Pour sauce over apples. Serve warm or at room temperature.

BRAISED RED CABBAGE WITH APPLES

Steps:

• Juice one orange half. Remove and discard the peel from the second half, and cube the flesh.
• Combine cabbage, apples, onion, vinegar, cinnamon, and salt in a large stock pot over low heat. Add orange juice and chopped flesh, then season with pepper. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until cabbage is tender and has reduced, at least 45 minutes.

BRAISED AND BRûLéED APPLES WITH ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Bring apple cider, maple syrup, butter, vinegar, and salt to a simmer in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-low heat, stirring to melt butter. Add apples to pot in a single layer (you might need to cook in batches depending on the size of your pot) and return liquid to a very gentle simmer. Cook, turning apples halfway through, until a skewer (or the tip of a small knife) slides easily through flesh but apples stay intact, 20-25 minutes; set aside.
• Remove apples from pot with a slotted spoon and place, cut side up, on a rimmed baking sheet; set aside. Bring liquid in pot to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, swirling occasionally, until reduced to a thick caramel with bubbles that slowly expand and then pop, 15-20 minutes. Add cream and stir until sauce is smooth. Reduce heat to low and keep sauce warm in pot while you brûlée the caramel apples.
• Sprinkle cut sides of reserved apples with sugar and caramelize with kitchen torch (alternatively, you can brûlée them under the broiler, about 3 minutes).
• To serve, scoop ice cream into bowls; place an apple half, brûléed side up, in each. Drizzle with warm caramel sauce and top with some nuts.
• Apples can be braised 1 day ahead. Let cool in liquid, then cover and chill. Reheat over low before continuing.

BRAISED APPLES WITH ORANGE SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Carefully pare the peel from the oranges and cut into julienne strips. Simmer the strips for 10 minutes in water. Drain and rinse. Squeeze the juice from the oranges, strain and set aside.
• Peel and core the apples and put them in a bowl with water to cover and add the juice of the lemon to prevent them from discoloring.
• Drain the apples. Using 2 tablespoons butter, grease a flameproof baking dish just large enough to hold them comfortably. Put a teaspoon butter in each apple. Sprinkle with sugar. Add 2 tablespoons of the cognac, white wine and orange juice. Bring to simmer on top of the stove, cover loosely with foil paper and put into the oven.
• Bake for 25 minutes, checking occasionally to make sure that the liquid remains at a simmer and that the apples are not overcooking. If they cook too long, they will collapse.
• When the apples are done, arrange them on a serving dish. Add the jelly to their cooking juices and bring to boil. Stir in remaining cognac and orange peel. Cook for a minute or two, or until the sauce is thick enough to coat the spoon. Pour over the apples. Serve at room temperature, with the cream in a small jug.

BRAISED LENTILS WITH SAFFRON

Steps:

• Soak lentils for about 6 hours.
• Peel and halve the onion and place into a saucepan with 3 tablespoons oil and the ham.
• Drain the lentils and add them to the saucepan, brown breifly, then moisten with the wine.
• Add the saffron strands and powdered saffron.
• When the wine has evaporated, pour just enough hot stock to cover the lentils.
• bring to a boil, lower the heat and cover and cook for 20 minutes.
• Taste and add salt if necessary, then discard the onion and serve hot.

PERSIAN SAFFRON-BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• Place saffron threads into a small bowl and crush them up a bit with a spoon. Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of hot water and stir. Let bloom for about 10 minutes - the water should turn bright yellow/orange. Set aside.
• Season chicken thighs on both sides with about 1 teaspoon salt and freshly cracked pepper.
• Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken thighs and sear on both sides until golden, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove and place on a plate to the side. Add onion to the same skillet and cook until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in garlic and curry powder and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Pour in chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and add saffron mixture. Season with remaining 1 teaspoon salt and freshly cracked pepper. Stir to combine. Return chicken thighs to the skillet, cover, and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes, flipping thighs halfway through cook time. Season to taste and serve with the sauce.

BRAISED LEMON-SAFFRON CHICKEN AND POTATOES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Using a mortar and pestle (or the bottom of a spoon and a bowl), grind the saffron threads into a powder as best you can. Add the 2 tablespoons hot water and stir to combine. Set aside.
• Place the chicken in a 9-by-13-inch roasting pan or baking dish. Cut large potatoes into 1-inch pieces and add to the pan. Drizzle the chicken and potatoes with the oil, then season well with salt and pepper.
• Add the lemon juice to the saffron water, mix to combine, then pour over the chicken and potatoes, stirring to coat. Arrange the chicken skin-side down. Sprinkle evenly with the whole black peppercorns, if using, then cover tightly with foil. (It's OK if everything is close together.)
• Cook until the meat is tender and easily pulled from the bone, and the potatoes are soft, about 1 1/2 hours. During the last 15 minutes, remove the foil, flip the chicken, stir the potatoes and cook for 15 minutes more, uncovered, to reduce some of the liquid.
• Season with black pepper and serve with rice or pita to soak up the lemony juices.

BRAISED APPLES WITH SAFFRON

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallot and cook until soft, stirring often, about 4 minutes. Add apples and turn to coat. Stir in saffron, stock, cider, sherry and currants, season with salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer stirring occasionally until apples are tender, 12-15 minutes.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer apples to a bowl. Raise heat to medium-high and cook sauce until reduced by half, about 10 minutes more. Season with pepper. Pour sauce over apples.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.