Spice Week: Saffron

I’m just mad about Saffron…Saffron’s madly expensive…

So, back for another edition of Spice Week, the cooking celebration of the reuniting of the Spice Girls.  Yesterday, we looked at a way to make a warm herbed goat cheese with herbs de’ Provence which can be enjoyed as is. 

However, by using another great spice, in this case, saffron, we can make an excellent topping for the goat cheese with a Spanish twist.

You will need:

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil 
• 1 medium white onion 
• salt
• 2 teaspoons of pepper
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 pinch of red pepper flake
• 1 tablspoon of Spanish paprika
• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup of green olives
• 1 healthy pinch of saffron cooked in 2 tablespoons of hot tap water
• 1/2 pound of 21 to 25 count shrimp (cooked), tails removed

1. Preheat a skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil.
2. When the skillet is hot, add the onions, garlic, a good pinch of salt, paprika, black pepper and red pepper flake.  Cook until the onions are very soft.
3. When the onions are soft, add the can of diced tomatoes.  Bring the liquid to a boil and cook to reduce the sauce by 1/3.
4. Wash the green olives and give them a rough chop.  When the sauce has reduced to the desired thickness, add the olives and let them get warm.
5. Add the saffron and let the color of the spice spread throughout the sauce.
6. Add the shrimp at the last minute and keep the skillet on the heat just long enough for the shrimp to get warm.  If you prefer, you can add uncooked shrimp at the same time as the green olives and cook them until they turn pink.

Take a healthy spoonful of the saffron-tomato-shrimp mixture and use it to top the goat cheese.   Tell me how you like it.

Interesting saffron facts: Saffron is the most expensive spice in the world because it can only be harvested by hand and is deadly in large amounts.  Enjoy!!