What ground herbs and spices do you have in your pantry? Go take a look. Check the expiration dates on them... I bet you will surprised that you've had that plastic bottle of cinnamon since 2009. Oh and the Cream of Tartar? Didn't realize it was in a metal box did you? THROW IT AWAY!
I prefer to use fresh spices whenever available but I do understand that most of us need the convenience of having dried spice on hand. Rule of thumb, be expected to use twice the amount of dry spice if your recipe called for fresh. The flavor concentration is considerably less in the bottled kind but still works in a pinch.
One of the most famous Spice Hunters was Marco Polo. He set out to find a spice route to the far East and ended up getting a little lost. The "real" story is that he was messing around with the Queen of Spain and the King gave her a choice... either her spicy lover hangs until dead or, he can be banished. I guess the P/R for the royal family at the time thought that a "spice route" journey sounded better than permanent banishment.
Some of the most popular spices (and I bet you have some or all of these in your cupboard) are: cinnamon, cumin, paprika, ginger, nutmeg, turmeric, tamarind, cardamom, cloves and chili powder. Every so often I will see a yummy recipe that looks appealing but as I scan the list of ingredients (olive oil, ginger, yellow onion), I see it... there it is; saffron.
Saffron is a rare and expensive herb with a pungent flavor made from the stigmata of the saffron flower. Did you know it takes at least 4,000 stigmatas to produce 1 ounce of saffron? Saffron and I have never got along. Every time I think, "Oh, I must be doing something wrong... let me try it again," I'm reminded that I flat out despise it. Sure it's fancy shmancy. Sure it makes rice a pretty color but geez louise... no thank you.
After years of giving saffron "another" chance I got wise and started the search for a comparable substitute. Most people find saffron too expensive and use ground turmeric instead to add a similar flavor and the same bright yellow color. I find saffron ghastly and use ground turmeric instead to add a similar flavor and the same bright yellow color.
That said, if YOU are one of those folks with a highly sophisticated pallet and can't survive without some saffron in you life ("Saffron", that's her stage name lol), I'll share a couple of well tested recipes for you to enjoy maybe this coming weekend.
Chicken Scallopine with Saffron Sauce
What you'll need:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb chicken cutlets (scallopine)
2 shallots, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup chardonnay
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 teaspoon salt (or less if you have salt issues)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (or more, if you're a pepper freak like me)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
How to do it:
Warm the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over high heat. Season chicken with the salt and pepper. Cook until golden, about 3 minutes per side and transfer to a plate, cover in foil to keep warm.
Turn the heat down to medium, add shallot and garlic. Cook till tender (about 2 minutes).
Deglaze the pan with the chardonnay (don't forget to pour a glass for yourself).
Using a wooden spoon, scrape the yummy bits form the bottom of the pan.
Add the chicken broth and saffron threads, bring to a simmer and reduce the sauce for 10 minutes. Add cream at this point and a little more salt and pepper. Stir and simmer for a minute.
Pour the sauce over chicken on the warming plate, dust with parsley and serve.
I prefer to use fresh spices whenever available but I do understand that most of us need the convenience of having dried spice on hand. Rule of thumb, be expected to use twice the amount of dry spice if your recipe called for fresh. The flavor concentration is considerably less in the bottled kind but still works in a pinch.
One of the most famous Spice Hunters was Marco Polo. He set out to find a spice route to the far East and ended up getting a little lost. The "real" story is that he was messing around with the Queen of Spain and the King gave her a choice... either her spicy lover hangs until dead or, he can be banished. I guess the P/R for the royal family at the time thought that a "spice route" journey sounded better than permanent banishment.
Some of the most popular spices (and I bet you have some or all of these in your cupboard) are: cinnamon, cumin, paprika, ginger, nutmeg, turmeric, tamarind, cardamom, cloves and chili powder. Every so often I will see a yummy recipe that looks appealing but as I scan the list of ingredients (olive oil, ginger, yellow onion), I see it... there it is; saffron.
Saffron is a rare and expensive herb with a pungent flavor made from the stigmata of the saffron flower. Did you know it takes at least 4,000 stigmatas to produce 1 ounce of saffron? Saffron and I have never got along. Every time I think, "Oh, I must be doing something wrong... let me try it again," I'm reminded that I flat out despise it. Sure it's fancy shmancy. Sure it makes rice a pretty color but geez louise... no thank you.
After years of giving saffron "another" chance I got wise and started the search for a comparable substitute. Most people find saffron too expensive and use ground turmeric instead to add a similar flavor and the same bright yellow color. I find saffron ghastly and use ground turmeric instead to add a similar flavor and the same bright yellow color.
That said, if YOU are one of those folks with a highly sophisticated pallet and can't survive without some saffron in you life ("Saffron", that's her stage name lol), I'll share a couple of well tested recipes for you to enjoy maybe this coming weekend.
Chicken Scallopine with Saffron Sauce
What you'll need:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb chicken cutlets (scallopine)
2 shallots, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup chardonnay
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 teaspoon salt (or less if you have salt issues)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (or more, if you're a pepper freak like me)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
How to do it:
Warm the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over high heat. Season chicken with the salt and pepper. Cook until golden, about 3 minutes per side and transfer to a plate, cover in foil to keep warm.
Turn the heat down to medium, add shallot and garlic. Cook till tender (about 2 minutes).
Deglaze the pan with the chardonnay (don't forget to pour a glass for yourself).
Using a wooden spoon, scrape the yummy bits form the bottom of the pan.
Add the chicken broth and saffron threads, bring to a simmer and reduce the sauce for 10 minutes. Add cream at this point and a little more salt and pepper. Stir and simmer for a minute.
Pour the sauce over chicken on the warming plate, dust with parsley and serve.
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