Week 14 : Saffron

There is a very talkative cashier at my local grocery store. He is always cheerful, almost overly so. His smile is so big and toothy that it’s at a point where some people I know would deliberately go to a different checkout to not have to interact with him. But I’ve had some great one minute conversations with him. He asked my daughter’s name – Leila – and replied with a “Oh she’s a heartbreaker”. He proceeded to enlighten me with the details of Eric Clapton’s lust for George Harrison’s wife.*

The last time I chatted with him, I exclaimed my glee at the affordability of lemongrass. “You ought to buy saffron next. Whoa, that stuff’s expensive”.

Why not try saffron?

I decided to buy some, and it cost about $6 for a small container of what looks like long, thin, red confetti. I suppose it is “more expensive than crack”, but I prefer “more expensive than gold”. The cost is due to the fact that the stamens are picked from the saffron crocus by hand.

Saffron makes rice yellow and even more delicious!

Lorka’s Simple Paella (serves 4)

2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup white wine
3 cups broth
1 cup white rice
2 big pinches saffron
1/2 cup diced tomatoes or chunky tomato sauce
2 sprigs parsley
1 sprig thyme
salt and pepper, to taste

In a medium pot, set heat to medium-high and add olive oil to pot. Add onions and stir until soft but not brown, about 5-10 minutes. Without lowering heat, add white wine to the pot and let alcohol evaporate for about a minute while stirring continuously.

Add saffron and rice, continue to stir about 1 minute.

Add broth, tomatoes, parsley, and thyme to the mix. Stir well and turn down the heat until at a cheerful simmer.

Continue to cook about 15-20 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is soft. Take rice off of heat and salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4 as a side dish, or 2 as a main dish.

* I get many comments on the song “Layla” when I mention my daughter’s name. That’s cool. I don’t mind. It’s great to have a cool song associated with your name. Veronica by Elvis Costello is an example of another cool name song.