Spain on a Fork > All Recipes > Main Dishes > 3 SIMPLE + TASTY Spanish Dishes that use SAFFRON
All Recipes, Main Dishes / December 14, 2019

3 SIMPLE + TASTY Spanish Dishes that use SAFFRON

One of the most popular spices used in the Spanish kitchen is Saffron. It´s a spice that adds a magical flavor to any dish. In this post, I will show you how to make 3 simple yet tasty Spanish dishes that use saffron. All these recipes are easy to make, use simple ingredients and highlight the beautiful spice of saffron.


If you are not familiar with saffron, it is the most expensive spice in the world. It´s harvested by hand and you only get 3 stigmas (saffron threads) from each flower. But hey, don´t let the price tag scare you off, a little goes a long way and the flavor it adds is extraordinary.


The secret when using saffron, is to just use a little bit. I usually use 1/2 tsp of saffron threads in each recipe that I prepare. Many people say to toast the saffron threads before you incorporate them into a dish. I find that if you use high-quality saffron, you can totally skip that step 🙂 .


To make these 3 Spanish dishes, I used saffron threads from Golden Saffron. Folks, this is the real deal. 100% grade 1 high-quality premium saffron. I can´t recommend this saffron enough. Possibly the BEST saffron in the market.


Key Ingredients & Cookware I used in this Recipe:

HIGH-QUALITY SAFFRON THREADS
PAELLA PAN
MORTAR & PESTLE

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Watch the Video Below on How to Make 3 SIMPLE + TASTY Spanish Dishes that use SAFFRON

3 SIMPLE + TASTY Spanish Dishes that use SAFFRON

Cuisine Spanish
Author Albert Bevia @ Spain on a Fork

Ingredients

VEGETABLE PAELLA

  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic finely minced
  • 1/2 onion finely diced
  • 1/2 red bell pepper roughly diced
  • 1/2 green bell pepper roughly diced
  • 5 mushrooms thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup precooked lima beans
  • 1/2 cup canned tomato sauce
  • 1/2 tsp sweet smoked Spanish paprika
  • 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1/2 tsp saffron threads
  • 1 cup round rice
  • sea salt
  • black pepper

ROASTED POTATOES WITH SAFFRON AIOLI

  • 2 yukon gold potatoes
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 tsp saffron threads
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 tsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • sea salt
  • black pepper
  • handful freshly chopped chives

SEAFOOD STEW WITH VEGETABLES & SAFFRON

  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic finely minced
  • 1/2 onion finely diced
  • 1/2 red bell pepper roughly chopped
  • 1/2 green bell pepper roughly chopped
  • 1/2 tsp sweet smoked Spanish paprika
  • 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup fish broth
  • 1/2 tsp saffron threads
  • 1 14 oz fillet of cod cut into 1-inch squares
  • sea salt
  • black pepper

Instructions

  1. To make the vegetable paella, heat a paella pan with a medium-high heat and add in 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, after 1 minute season the olive oil with sea salt and add in the onion & bell peppers, mix continuously with the olive oil, after 5 minutes add in the mushrooms and continue to mix, 2 minutes later make a well in the pan and add in the garlic, cook for 30 seconds, then add in 1/2 tsp sweet smoked paprika and mix it all together until well combined, then add in 1/2 cup tomato sauce, 1/2 cup precooked lima beans and season with sea salt & black pepper, mix until well combined, then add in 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth, pinch in 1/2 tsp saffron threads and a kiss of sea salt, give it a gentle mix, once it comes to a boil add in 1 cup of round rice and gently mix so the rice is evenly divided, do not mix after this point as it disrupts the way the rice cooks, 8 minutes later lower the fire to a low-medium heat and simmer for 3 minutes, then hit it back to a medium-hight heat for 60 to 90 seconds to achieve the socarrat (caramelized rice underneath), remove the pan from the heat and cover with a dish cloth, after 5 minutes uncover the paella and serve garnished with lemon wedges

  2. To make the roasted potatoes with saffron aioli, cut 2 yukon gold potatoes in half, then cut each half in half to end up with 4 evenly sized quarters from each potato, cut each quarter in half and into 1/2 inch thick pieces, add the cut potatoes into a large bowl, pour in a generous tbsp of extra virgin olive oil and season with sea salt & black pepper, toss together until well combined, add to a baking tray lined with parchment paper and make sure they´re all in a single layer, add into a preheated oven, bake + broil option 250 C - 475 F, meanwhile make the saffron aioli, add 2 roughly minced cloves of garlic into a mortar, pinch in 1/2 tsp saffron threads and pound down with a pestle until you form a paste, then add 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/2 tsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and season with sea salt & black pepper, whisk together until well combined, cover with seran wrap and set aside, after 20 to 25 minutes remove the potatoes from the oven, transfer into a large bowl, pour in the saffron aioli and gently mix together until each potato is coated in the aioli, transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with freshly chopped chives

  3. To make the seafood stew, heat a sauce pan with a medium heat and pour in 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, after 2 minutes add in the garlic and onions, mix with the olive oil, after 3 minutes add in the bell peppers and continue to mix, after 4 minutes add in 1/2 tsp sweet smoked paprika and season with sea salt & black pepper and mix it all together, then add in a 15 oz can of diced tomatoes, season again with sea salt & black pepper and mix it all together, after 2 minutes add in 1 cup of fish broth and pinch in 1/2 tsp of saffron threads, give it a gentle mix, once it comes to a boil add in the cod (seasoned with sea salt & black pepper), give it a quick mix and place a lid on the pan, after 6 minutes remove the pan from the heat and serve into shallow bowls next to some crusty bread

Recipe Notes

Get the Golden Saffron Threads I used to make these recipes

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1 Comment

  1. 3 SIMPLE + TASTY Spanish Dishes that use SAFFRON - My Home Chef Recipes

    […] FULL RECIPE HERE: https://www.spainonafork.com/3-simple-tasty-spanish-dishes-that-use-saffron/ […]

    06 . May . 2022

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