|
|
Dormivit
in sacco croci (He has slept in a bed of saffron) is a
Latin expression meaning, "He has a very light heart",
a reference to the enlivening effect of this most precious
of spices. One early writer even warned against ingesting
too much saffron lest one should "die of excessive joy!"
Saffron
is expensive because it requires up to 400,000 of the orange-red
stigmas of the Crocus sativus to make a mere one kg. of the
spice.
|
|
Each
flower has only three stigmas, which must be handpicked at
dawn during a brief two-week blossoming period in late October.
The saffron crocus grows from 5-9 inches tall, with long thin
leaves and lilac colored flowers. It is a perennial in zones
6-10 and today is cultivated commercially on a large scale
only in India and in seven of Spain's 52 provinces. If wintered
indoors in a cool place the saffron crocus is easy to grow,
even in Canada. It takes about six plants to generate enough
stigmas for one recipe. Harvest them early in the morning
and dry by simply placing the stigmas on paper towels and
storing them in a warm, dry place for a few days until they
are brittle. They will keep in a small, sealed glass jar for
up to five years.
The flowers of the saffron crocus do not close at night and
the stigmas protrude beyond the petals. These features distinguish
it from the highly poisonous Colchicum autumnale or
Autumn Crocus.
The word saffron is from the Arabic, assfar or zafaran,
meaning yellow. The botanical name, sativus, is Latin
for cultivated.
Drinking saffron tea will allegedly induce clairvoyance. Also
in the magical realm saffron is supposed to be lust provoking
and was often added to love sachets. The Roman aristocracy
perfumed their homes and baths with it. In Greek myth, the
gods wore robes dyed with the spice. The red pigment of the
stigmas supposedly developed when Hermes, the messenger god
of ancient Greece, felt remorseful after accidentally killing
his friend, Crocus. As his blood spilled on to the ground,
Hermes turned the drops into the saffron crocus.
Medicinally, saffron has fallen out of favor as cheaper and
more effective herbs have become available. During the Middle
Ages however, saffron was popular as a treatment for period
pain and uterine bleeding and to bring on menstruation. Pregnant
women should be wary of ingesting saffron beyond small culinary
amounts as in large doses the spice may induce abortion. Saffron
has been used to treat indigestion and is still used in Chinese
herbal medicine to relieve abdominal pain. Some herbalists
do recommend saffron to treat high blood pressure as it contains
a blood pressure-lowering agent called crocetin. There is
a statistical low incidence of heart disease in Spain, which
some people attribute to the nation's high consumption of
the spice.
Saffron is used in Arabic, Indian and especially in Mediterranean
cuisine. It particularly complements fish and seafood and
is an essential ingredient in French bouillabaisse and Spanish
paella. It also goes well with mild cheeses, eggs, rice and
other meat dishes. Powdered saffron is considerably stronger
than saffron threads, but the powdered variety is frequently
adulterated, so purists stick to the threads. Whether using
the threads or the powder, avoid using too much of the spice
as this will result in a medicinal taste. Steep the spice
in a little hot water before adding to the food, and then
add both the saffron and the water.
To accompany Indian food, try the following:
Saffron
Rice
·
1 cup Basmati rice
· 2 cups of water
· 1 Tbsp. butter
· ¼ tsp. saffron threads (or one eighth tsp.
of powdered saffron)
· 3 inches of broken cinnamon sticks (pieces should
be large enough to facilitate easy removal prior to serving)
· 3 whole cloves
· ½ an onion, chopped
· 4 whole cardamom seeds
· ½ tsp. salt (or more to taste)
Pour about 2 Tbsp. of boiling water on the saffron and allow
to infuse for 10 minutes. Melt the butter in a pan and add
the cinnamon, cloves and onions. Sauté until the onions
are translucent. Add the rice, water, cardamom, salt, saffron
and its water. Bring to the boil then cover and simmer for
about 25 minutes - about 45 minutes if you use long grain
brown rice.
In France, rabbit is often cooked with mustard. Following
is a variation of a traditional French rabbit recipe using
saffron as the spice with a resultant agreeable color and
flavour.
Rabbit
with Sherry, Cream & Saffron
·
1 rabbit, cut into six or eight pieces
· ¾ cup of heavy cream
· ¼ cup medium dry sherry
· 1-2 cloves of garlic
· 4 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
· 1 tsp. salt (or more to taste)
· Pinch of cayenne
· ¼ tsp. saffron threads (or 1/8 tsp. saffron
powder).
Pour about 2 Tbsp. of boiling water over the saffron in a
small dish and allow this to infuse for 10 minutes. Place
the rabbit in a reasonably tight fitting, ovenproof, lidded
casserole. Place all the other ingredients into a blender
- including the saffron and water after infusion - and blend
well. Pour over rabbit. Cook in preheated oven at 350F for
about 60 minutes until well done. Check for doneness before
serving. Rabbit can take a deceivingly long time to cook.
Overcooked rabbit done in a sauce is perfectly acceptable.
Undercooked rabbit is not. Serve with rice.
|