I got gifted a pouch of saffron recently. This is the first time that I've actually seen saffron in person - these thin, delicate stamens from the crocus. Would they actually be able to impart any flavour? They seemed so fragile. But once I kept them in a container, and opened it after storing in the fridge for a few hours, I got a whiff of soft, floral scent - reminiscent of a sweet chrysanthemum tea.
But what to do with them? I had never made anything that seemed to demand saffron, so it would seem that I needed to try out a new recipe. Serendipitously (is that even a word?), I turned on the TV, and saw Eric Ripert making bouillabaisse... when I saw him sprinkling saffron onto his chicken, I knew I was on to something!
The ingredients were pretty simple. I cut down on the ingredient list in the recipe, and just stuck to the basics:
- clams,
- squid,
- chicken,
- fennel,
- baby potatoes,
- onion and
- garlic.
Note: I like to give my clams a quick blanch to open them up so I can pick out any which are filled with mud and grit - one bad clam can ruin an entire pot of food! Because they're already almost cooked, I add them in a lot later in the cooking process.
