Saffron Pepper Sauce Recipes

SAFFRON CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Prepare the saffron and make a roux. Put the warm water in a small bowl and crumble the saffron into it. Set aside to infuse. Meanwhile, melt the butter on medium heat. Add the onions and salt, and saute until translucent. Add the garlic and continue cooking until just fragrant, 20 to 30 seconds. Whisking constantly, add the flour to make a roux. Cook over medium heat until you can see the garlic bits in the roux getting toasty and the whole thing developing a golden hue, about 3 minutes.
• Finish the sauce. When your roux is lightly golden, add the milk in a thin stream, whisking constantly. Next, add the white wine and the saffron-infused water. Keep whisking; the sauce will thicken and smooth. Once it does, remove it from the heat and stir in the cream. Taste and adjust salt if necessary, and whisk in chili powder (optional). If the texture is too rich, stir in a bit more milk, a little at a time.

GRILLED CEDAR PLANK SALMON WITH YELLOW PEPPER SAFFRON SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat grill. Remove the planks from the water and place on the grill until hot. Have ready 4 sheets of aluminum foil cut into 16 by 16-inch sheets. Remove the planks with tongs and place 1 plank in the center of each piece of foil. Brush the salmon on both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Wrap the aluminum around the salmon, return to the grill and cook for approximately 10 minutes or to medium well doneness. Remove each fillet from the plank and drizzle with the sauce.
• In a blender or food processor, combine the peppers, vinegar, garlic, saffron, honey, and mustard and blend 30 seconds. With the motor running, slowly add the oil until it emulsifies. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

BUTTER SAFFRON SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine shallots, white wine, and vinegar in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat until the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Whisk in heavy cream, reduce heat to low and simmer until the mixture is reduced by half, about 10 minutes.
• Remove the sauce from heat and whisk in the butter, little by little, until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add saffron. Keep sauce warm over a double boiler until serving.

PAN SEARED SNAPPER IN SAFFRON SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat skillet over medium high flame until it's nice and hot. In the meantime with a sharp knife, score the skin side of the snapper and salt and pepper. Add 1/8 of a cup of the olive oil to skillet. Put the snapper meatside down, sear until you've got a golden crust then turn the fillet over and cook 2 minutes more. Take the fillets out of the skillet and set aside while you saute the fennel in the same skillet for 5 minutes. Set the fennel aside and drain any oil from the skillet. Put remaining 1/8 cup olive oil into skillet over medium heat. Add shallots, garlic, saffron, and saute for 1 minute. Deglaze skillet with wine, lemon juice and pernod. When there is almost no liquid left in skillet add fish stock or water. Bring to a simmer and add fennel back to skillet and continue to simmer for 2 more minutes. Put snapper on top of fennel, put skillet in a preheated 425 degree oven for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from oven and put fennel on a plate and snapper again on top of fennel. Return skillet to high flame and reduce pan juice by half, remove pan from heat and add butter. Swinging pan until dissolved and sauce has thickened, salt and pepper to taste and spoon around fish and fennel.

TOASTED FENNEL CRUSTED TUNA WITH SAFFRON-RED PEPPER SAUCE AND SPRING VEGETABLE COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Place fennel seeds in a coffee grinder and coarsely grind and place on a large plate. Brush tuna with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Preheat saute pan or grill pan over high heat until smoking. Dredge one side of the tuna in the fennel seeds. Saute, fennel-side down for 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown, turn over and continue cooking for 1 to 2 minutes for rare doneness.
• Heat oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until soft. Add the red peppers, vinegar, water and saffron and bring to a simmer. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Place in a blender and blend until smooth, season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the couscous and cook until lightly golden brown. Cover with water and 2 tablespoons of salt. Cook until al dente, drain and place into a large bowl. Heat remaining 3 tablespoons of oil in a large saute pan and saute the vegetables until just cooked through. Add the vegetables and oil to the couscous. Whisk together the soy sauce and harissa and pour over the couscous and mix to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

ROASTED RED SAFFRON PEPPERS

Steps:

• Heat the broiler. Broil peppers 4 inches from the heat, turning them as their skins begin to blister and blacken, until peppers have blackened all over in a slightly mottled pattern, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; cover with a towel or plastic wrap. When cool enough to be handled, rub off their skins with your fingers. Cut each pepper in half lengthwise and remove seeds, stem, and membrane. Slice into 1-inch-wide strips. If not using immediately, refrigerate in a glass container.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently until tender, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, paprika, red pepper flakes, and saffron, and cook 2 minutes. Add peppers, vinegar, and olives. Season with salt and pepper, reduce heat to low, and cook another 3 minutes. Stir in mint. Serve.

SAFFRON FISH WITH RED PEPPERS AND PRESERVED LEMON

Steps:

• Pour 2 cups of boiling water into a bowl and sprinkle with the saffron strands. Use a spoon to press the saffron strands against the side of the bowl to release the flavor. Cover the bowl with a plate and set aside.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over low. Add the bell peppers, onion, tomatoes, garlic and cilantro stems, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is transparent.
• Nestle the fish into the vegetables, sprinkle with the paprika, red-pepper flakes (if using), 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Pour the prepared saffron water over everything. (You can do all of this in advance 1 day in advance, and refrigerate until ready to finish.)
• When ready to cook, add the olives and preserved lemon (if using - but if using fresh lemon, that will come in Step 5). Bring the mixture to a boil over high, reduce to low, cover the pan and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, basting the fish every 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the cilantro leaves during the last few minutes of cooking.
• Taste for seasoning and serve, setting the fish on top of the vegetables. Sprinkle with fresh lemon juice, if not using the preserved lemon. Serve warm or at room temperature.

SAFFRON SAUCE

Steps:

• Melt clarified butter in a pan and add the onion.
• When onion turns translucent add garlic and stir.
• Add white wine and let simmer.
• Keep one TB cream back, add the rest to the pan. Let reduce sauce until desired consistency is reached.
• Dissolve the saffron threads in the remaining TB of cream and add to the sauce.
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve.