Saffron Onions Recipes

SAFFRON RISOTTO WITH SPRING ONION, SAFFRON AND GREEN GARLIC

Steps:

• Put the stock or broth into a saucepan, and bring it to a simmer over low heat with a ladle nearby. Make sure that the broth is well seasoned.
• Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a wide, heavy nonstick skillet or saucepan. Add the spring onion, green garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cook gently until it is just tender, about three minutes. Do not brown.
• Add the rice, and stir just until the grains separate and begin to crackle. Rub the saffron between your thumb and fingers, and stir into the rice. Add the wine, stirring until it has been absorbed. Begin adding the simmering stock, a couple of ladlefuls (about 1/2 cup) at a time. The stock should just cover the rice and should be bubbling, not too slowly nor too quickly. Cook, stirring often, until the stock is just about absorbed. Add another ladleful or two of the stock. Continue to cook in this fashion, adding more stock when the rice is almost dry and stirring. When the rice is just tender all the way through but still chewy, in 20 to 25 minutes, it is done. Taste, and adjust seasoning.
• Add another ladleful of stock to the rice. Stir in the Parmesan, and remove from the heat. The mixture should be creamy. Serve right away in wide soup bowls or on plates, spreading the risotto in a thin layer rather than lumping into a mound.

SAFFRON RICE

Steps:

• Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, and continue cooking and stirring until the onion is very tender and dark brown, 15 to 20 minutes more.
• Pour in rice and stir to coat. Stir in water, parsley flakes, saffron, and 3 drops of yellow food coloring (optional). Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until water is absorbed, about 30 minutes.

SAFFRON RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Soften saffron in hot water (2 tablespoons) in a small bowl.
• Heat oil in a 5-quart heavy pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Fry almonds, stirring frequently, until golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.
• Fry onion in oil remaining in pot, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer half of onion to a bowl.
• Add rice to onion in pot and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add water (4 1/2 cups), saffron mixture, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, until water is absorbed and rice is tender, 18 to 20 minutes. Let rice stand, covered, off heat 5 minutes.
• While rice stands, stir almonds and currants into bowl with onion.
• Fluff rice with a fork and serve with almond mixture spooned on top.

SAFFRON ORZO

Steps:

• Cook 1 minced shallot in 2 tablespoons olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 cup orzo and cook, stirring, until toasted, 3 to 5 minutes. Add 2 cups chicken broth, 1/2 teaspoon each saffron and kosher salt and 2 bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then stir and reduce to a simmer; cover and cook until the orzo is tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon butter and season with salt.

COD WITH POTATOES, PEPPERS AND SAFFRON

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large wide pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 30 seconds. Add the potatoes and stir to coat. Add the chicken broth, bay leaves, 3/4 teaspoon salt, the saffron and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a steady simmer. Cover the pot and cook until the potatoes are mostly tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Season the cod with salt, then add to the pot; submerge about halfway in the broth, with the top of the fish exposed. Cover and simmer until the fish is cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Carefully remove with a spatula and transfer to shallow bowls.
• Gently stir the lemon juice into the pot; season with salt and more red pepper flakes. Spoon the vegetables and broth over the fish, sprinkle with the parsley and serve with the lemon wedges.

SAFFRON CHICKEN KEBABS

Steps:

• Slice chicken crosswise into thirds (about 2-inch pieces). Using your fingers or a mortar and pestle, crush saffron with 1/2 teaspoon salt, then add 1 teaspoon hot water; let stand 1 minute. Whisk together lime and orange juices, zest, saffron mixture, sliced onion, 2 teaspoons salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and oil. Place chicken in a large resealable plastic bag; add marinade. Seal bag and massage meat to fully coat. Let stand at least 1 hour, or refrigerate up to 1 day.
• Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking. Remove chicken from marinade; thread each piece onto two skewers, so it lies flat. Skewer tomatoes and onion wedges. Season everything with salt and pepper; drizzle with oil. Working in batches, grill chicken and vegetables, flipping once, until charred in places and cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes per batch. Line a platter with lavash, then transfer cooked chicken and vegetables to platter. Sprinkle with sumac. Serve with radishes, mint, more lavash, and herb sauce.

SHERRIED ONION AND ALMOND SOUP WITH SAFFRON

Steps:

• Melt the better in a heavy saucepan over a low heat to prevent it from burning. Add the onions and garlic, stirring frequently for 15-20 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent.
• Add the saffron and cook, uncovered, for 3-4 minutes. Add the ground almonds and cook, stirring continuously, for 2-3 minutes. Add the stock, sherry and 1 tsp salt and plenty of pepper. Bring it to the boil and then simmer gently for about 10 minutes.
• Process the soup in a blender until smooth, then return it to the rinsed pan. Reheat slowly without allowing the soup to boil, stirring occasionally. Check the seasoning.
• Ladle the soup into heated bowls, garnish with the toasted almonds and a little parsley and serve immediately.

BAKED FISH WITH POTATOES, ONIONS, SAFFRON AND PAPRIKA

Steps:

• Sprinkle the fish fillets with salt and arrange in a flat-bottomed bowl or pie plate.
• Pour on the lemon juice and let it sit.
• In a shallow, ovenproof casserole, heat 3 tablespoons of the oil.
• Add the potatoes in layers and sprinkle each layer with salt.
• Turn the potatoes to coat with the oil and saute over medium heat for 2 minutes.
• Stir in the onions, 1/8 teaspoon of the saffron, and 1/4 teaspoon of the paprika and saute for 2 minutes more.
• Cover and cook over medium-low heat until the potatoes are almost tender, 15-20 minutes, lifting and turning the potato mixture occoasionally.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Drain the fish and arrange over the potatoes.
• Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over the fish and sprinkle with salt and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon saffron and 1/4 teaspoon paprika.
• Bake for about 15 minutes, until the fish is just cooked through.
• Serve right from the casserole dish or transfer to dinner plates and arrange the potato mixture around and over the fish.
• Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

SAFFRON ONIONS

Steps:

• Toast the saffron threads in a small pan over medium heat until they just dry and become brittle. Be careful not to burn the precious saffron. Pound the saffron in a mortar to a fine powder. Dab a tablespoon of the butter into the powder, using the butter to pick up the saffron.
• Heat a large sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the olive oil, remaining butter, and saffron. When the butter foams, add the onions, bay leaf, chile, thyme, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and some pepper. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, as the onions wilt. Turn the heat down to low, and cook another 20 minutes, stirring every now and then, until the onions are soft and sweet. Taste for seasoning.