When people hear the word “saffron,” many probably think of paella and saffron rice. The yellow colored rice is very beautiful and stimulates the appetite.
Saffron is a plant of the Iris family and its scientific name is "Crocus sativus". A type of crocus that blooms in autumn, the saffron used in cooking is made by extracting the three flower stigmas and drying them.
Saffron is very thin and about 1.5 to 3.5 cm long. It is dark reddish to reddish brown.
In cooking, it is used for coloring and flavoring paella, risotto, bouillabaisse, and saffron rice and more.
Saffron is said to have medicinal properties and has been used in countries around the world for a long time.
In Europe, it is a stomachic, sedative, and empathic drug. In Asia, it's used to induce menstruation, relieves cramps and address chronic uterine bleeding, as well as help with indigestion and abdominal pain.
Saffron's golden color enhances the look of food and its flavor enhances the taste. It's common to soak a small amount in water to color it and add it to the dish at the end.
Saffron is very delicate. The scent tends to evaporate and deteriorate easily, however if you wrap it in aluminum foil and store it in a sealed container in a cool place out of direct sunlight, it will last a long time. Freezing can keep the scent even longer.
Ingredients
serves 4
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cup chicken stock
24 medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped garlics, about 9 garlic cloves
3 anchovy fillets
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
5 saffron threads
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 cup tomato puree
1 tablespoon lemon juice, preferably freshly squeeze
Salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
Directions
Season the shrimps with the cayenne and salt.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Once the oil gets hot, add the shrimp and quickly sear both sides until shrimp is an opaque pink color, about 1 minute per sides. Remove from heat and set aside
Reduce heat to medium under the same pan and stir onion with the shrimp drippings. Cook until translucent, about 3 minutes.
Add the garlic, anchovies and tomato paste, sauté about 1 minute.
Add the chicken stock, red pepper flakes, saffron and tomato puree. Simmer until sauce get thick, about 10 minutes.
Return the shrimp to the pan, add the butter and toss to coat the shrimp.
Season with salt and lemon juice.
Serve with rice or pasta
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