Potatoes Braised In Saffron Stock Recipes

BRAISED LEMON-SAFFRON CHICKEN AND POTATOES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Using a mortar and pestle (or the bottom of a spoon and a bowl), grind the saffron threads into a powder as best you can. Add the 2 tablespoons hot water and stir to combine. Set aside.
• Place the chicken in a 9-by-13-inch roasting pan or baking dish. Cut large potatoes into 1-inch pieces and add to the pan. Drizzle the chicken and potatoes with the oil, then season well with salt and pepper.
• Add the lemon juice to the saffron water, mix to combine, then pour over the chicken and potatoes, stirring to coat. Arrange the chicken skin-side down. Sprinkle evenly with the whole black peppercorns, if using, then cover tightly with foil. (It's OK if everything is close together.)
• Cook until the meat is tender and easily pulled from the bone, and the potatoes are soft, about 1 1/2 hours. During the last 15 minutes, remove the foil, flip the chicken, stir the potatoes and cook for 15 minutes more, uncovered, to reduce some of the liquid.
• Season with black pepper and serve with rice or pita to soak up the lemony juices.

BRAISED POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat the oil and butter over medium-low heat in a large ovenproof skillet. Add onion, and cook until very soft, about 15 minutes. Stir in the potatoes and shallots and half the rosemary; season with salt and pepper. Raise heat to medium-high, and cook until potatoes begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and add remaining rosemary and the stock.
• Cover skillet, and transfer to the oven; cook until potatoes are fork-tender, about 10 minutes (timing will vary with size of potatoes). Uncover, and cook until liquid is reduced, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped rosemary. Serve warm.

BRAISED HALIBUT WITH ASPARAGUS, BABY POTATOES AND SAFFRON

Steps:

• Crush saffron threads between your fingers and place in a small bowl or ramekin. Add 1 tablespoon warm water and set aside.
• In a mortar and pestle, pound together almonds, garlic and anchovies along with a pinch of salt into a paste. Set aside.
• In a heavy straight-sided skillet or wide saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Season fish with salt and pepper. When oil is hot, sear fish for 1 minute on each side. Remove to a plate or platter.
• Reduce heat to medium and add anchovy paste to pan. Cook, stirring and scraping bottom of pan, until garlic is fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Stir in 3 cups water and stir to deglaze bottom of pan. Add potatoes and a pinch of salt. (Don't salt to taste now or broth will become too salty when reduced later.) Bring to a boil. Add saffron with soaking water, reduce heat, cover and simmer until potatoes are just tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Carefully add seared halibut fillets and asparagus to pan. Tip in any liquid that has accumulated on the plate or platter, and bring back to a bare simmer. Cover and poach gently for 5 minutes, or until fish is opaque and asparagus is tender. With a slotted spoon or tongs, carefully remove fish fillets to 4 warm wide soup bowls. If necessary, simmer asparagus for another minute or 2. It should be tender but not too soft.
• Divide potatoes and asparagus among the bowls. Turn up heat and reduce liquid in pan by half, stirring. Taste and adjust seasoning. Stir in parsley and basil and simmer 20 to 30 seconds. Spoon broth over fish and vegetables and serve.

FONDANT POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Cut off ends of russet potatoes, stand potatoes on end, and peel potatoes from top to bottom with a sharp knife to make each potato into a uniform cylinder. Cut each cylinder in half crosswise to make 6 potato cylinders about 2 inches long.
• Place potatoes into a bowl of cold water for about 5 minutes to remove starch from outsides; pat dry with paper towels.
• Place a heavy oven-proof skillet (such as a cast iron skillet) over high heat. Pour in vegetable oil; heat oil until it shimmers slightly.
• Place potato cylinders with best-looking ends into the hot oil, lower heat to medium-high, and pan-fry potatoes until well-browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper.
• Flip the potatoes onto the opposite ends. As they cook, use a paper towel held with tongs to carefully blot out the oil from the skillet. Add butter and thyme sprigs to skillet.
• Pick up a thyme sprig with tongs and use it to paint butter over the top of the potatoes. Cook until butter foams and foam turns from white to a pale tan color. Season with more salt and pepper. Pour chicken stock into skillet.
• Transfer skillet to preheated oven and cook until potatoes are tender and creamy inside, about 30 minutes. If potatoes aren't tender, add 1/4 cup more stock and let cook 10 more minutes.
• Place potatoes on a serving platter and spoon thyme-scented butter remaining in skillet over potatoes. Garnish with thyme sprigs. Let cool about 5 minutes before serving.

POTATOES BRAISED IN SAFFRON STOCK

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 160°C or 325°F.
• Bring the chicken stock to the boil in a flame proof casserole, add the saffrons and infuse to a strong orange colour.
• Place in the oven and simmer the potatoes for about 45 minutes or until tender.
• Season with pepper and serve.

BRAISED OSSOBUCO WITH GREMOLATA

Steps:

• Place a heavy-based casserole dish over a high heat and add a splash of oil. Dust the pieces of beef in seasoned flour and fry until nicely browned on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.
• Turn the heat down and add another dash of oil with the onion, celery, carrot and garlic. Season with salt and cook until softened.
• Add the rosemary, bay leaf and tomato purée and stir for a further 2 minutes.
• Return the meat to the pan and pour in the wine. Reduce by a third then add the hot stock. Simmer for 2 hours, or until the meat is tender.
• To make the gremolata, finely chop the parsley and place in a bowl. Add the garlic and lemon zest and mix together.
• To serve, sprinkle the gremolata over the ossobuco. This dish is traditionally eaten with saffron rice, but you could also have it with creamy mashed potatoes or crusty bread. Don't forget to scoop out the delicious, rich marrow from the holes of the bones!