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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