Best Saffron Cakes Recipes

SAFFRON SALMON'S DUNGENESS CRAB CAKES

Steps:

• For the binding sauce: In a food processor, combine the mayonnaise, parsley leaves, lemon juice, capers, Dijon mustard, sweet pickle relish and green onions. Mix for about 1 minute.
• For the shrimp puree: In the clean bowl of the food processor, puree the prawns until smooth. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a mixing bowl, combine the shrimp puree with half the binding sauce. Mix well.
• For the remoulade: In the clean bowl of the food processor, combine the cocktail sauce, sun-dried tomatoes and hot sauce with the remainder of the binding sauce and blend for 1 minute until well mixed. Set aside.
• For the crab cakes: Fold all of the crab into the shrimp puree mixture. Mix in 3/4 cup panko. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
• In 3 separate bowls, place the beaten eggs, flour and remaining 1 cup panko. Divide the crab cake mixture into 6 balls. Form each ball into a cake that is approximately 1-inch thick, using a dry measuring cup as an aid. One at a time, dip each cake first into the flour, then the egg and then the panko. You may need a little more panko to get them well coated.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• In a large, ovenproof skillet, heat the butter over medium-high heat and brown the crab cakes evenly on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side. If the heat is too hot, adjust it down a little. Transfer the crab cakes to the oven and bake to cook through, about 10 minutes. Turn over as needed so the crab cakes do not brown too much on one side.
• Serve the hot crab cakes with the sun-dried tomato remoulade.

SAFFRON RISOTTO CAKES WITH SHRIMP, CHILE OIL, AND CHIVE OIL

Steps:

• Combine 4 1/2 cups broth and saffron in medium saucepan; bring to boil. Remove from heat; cover to keep warm. Heat olive oil in another medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and saute until tender, about 6 minutes. Add rice; stir 1 minute. Add wine; stir until absorbed, about 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup saffron broth; stir until absorbed, about 4 minutes. Continue adding broth, 1/2 cup at a time, until rice is just tender, allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding next and stirring frequently, about 20 minutes total. Season risotto with salt and pepper. Spray rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Spread risotto on prepared sheet, forming irregular 13x9-inch rectangle. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate until cold and firm, about 2 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.) Preheat oven to 300. Place rice flour in medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Using 2-inch-diameter cookie cutter, cut out 24 rounds from risotto. Dredge risotto cakes in rice flour; place on clean baking sheet. Heat 4 tablespoons canola oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, add risotto cakes to skillet and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer risotto cakes to another baking sheet; place in oven to keep warm. Sprinkle shrimp with salt and pepper. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons canola oil in another large skillet over high heat. Add shrimp and saute until just opaque in center, about 2 minutes per side. Top each risotto cake with 1 shrimp. Drizzle shrimp with Red Chile Oil and Chive Oil and serve. MARKET TIP: White rice flour is available at natural foods stores and some supermarkets. Its fine texture produces a light, crispy coating on pan-fried foods.

CRAB CAKES WITH SAFFRON VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat (a French nonstick baking mat). In a medium bowl, combine crab, eggs, garlic, onion, red and green pepper, salt, thyme, rosemary, bread crumbs, Tabasco, and 3 tablespoons olive oil. Cover and chill for at least 10 minutes. Shape into 5 cakes, 2 inches thick. Set aside.
• In a heavy-bottomed saute pan, heat remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add crab cakes and saute until lightly browned, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from saute pan and place on prepared baking sheet. Transfer to oven and bake until heated through, about 7 minutes.
• Drizzle plates with saffron vinaigrette. Garnish plates with chives and diced tomato. Top with crab cakes.

SAFFRON RISOTTA CAKES WITH SHRIMP, CHILI OIL AND CHIVE OIL

Steps:

• combine 4 1/2 cups broth and saffron in medium saucepan;bring to boil. Remove from heat;cover to keep warm. Heat olive oil in another med saucepan over med heat. Add onion and sute until tender. Add rice;stir 1 min. Add wine;stir until absored. Ad 1/2 cup saffron broth;stir until absorbed. continue adding brotha cup at a time until rice is just tender, stirring frequently. Season. Spray rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Spread risotto on sheet. cover with plastic;refrigerate until cold nad firm, about 2 hours. Preheat oven to 300. Place rice flour in med bowl. Season. Using 2" cookie cutter cut out 24 rounds from risotto, dredge in rice flour nad place on clean baking sheet. Heat 4 T canola oil over med heat. Add risotto cakes and cook until golden brown. Transfer to another sheet and place in oven to keep warm. Sprinkle shrimp with salt and pepper. Heat remaining 2 T oil in skillet over high ehat. Saute shrimp until opaque in center. Top risoltto cake with 1 shrimp. Drizzle with red chili oil and chive oil

SAFFRON SHRIMP CRAB CAKES

Steps:

• Pulse all sauce ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl and chill, covered, until ready to use.
• Sprinkle saffron into water in a 1-quart heavy saucepan and boil over moderately high heat until liquid is reduced to 1 tablespoon, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a small bowl, then cool completely.
• Heat oil (1 tablespoon) in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook onion, carrot, and celery, stirring occasionally, until pale golden, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.
• Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 400°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly brush parchment with oil.
• Whisk together 1 egg, cream, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
• Pat shrimp dry and transfer half of shrimp to clean food processor, then add saffron reduction, shallot, garlic, chipotle, and 1/2 cup panko. Purée until smooth, then, with motor running, add egg mixture in a slow stream, blending until just incorporated.
• Chop remaining shrimp very coarsely (about 1/3-inch pieces) and stir together with remaining 1/2 cup panko, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and carrot mixture. Lightly beat remaining egg and stir into shrimp and vegetable mixture along with shrimp purée, then fold in crabmeat until just combined.
• Loosely fill a 1/4-cup measure with crab mixture and drop onto a lined baking sheet. Make about 23 more cakes in same manner, dropping onto baking sheets about 1 inch apart. Flatten tops gently to form 2 1/2-inch-wide cakes (about 1 inch high) and bake, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until tops are lightly browned, about 15 minutes total. Serve shrimp crab cakes with sauce on the side.

GRILLED VEGETABLES SALAD WITH CRAB CAKES AND SAFFRON AIOLI

Steps:

• Saute the peppers and garlic in olive oil. Set aside to cool.
• In a big bowl, combine the crabmeat, 3 tablespoons of the mayonnaise, herbs, bread crumbs, and the cooled Sauteed mixture. Mix well. If it seems dry, add more mayonnaise. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
• Make balls from crab mix into 8 equal portions. Pat each into a disk. Chill again until ready to cook.
• Preheat grill for 20 minutes before you need to cook vegetables. Prep all the vegetables then toss in olive oil, salt, and pepper in separate bowls. Grill them over medium high heat until they are tender but not mushy, about 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the heat of the grill. As they come off grill, toss them in a bit more olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Serve warm or at room temperature.
• Fry the crab cakes over medium high heat in olive oil until golden brown. Serve with the grilled vegetables and Saffron Aioli.
• Use garlic that is fresh and firm. If garlic has sprouted, split the cloves and remove green germ. In food processor, puree garlic until chopped fine. Season with salt and pepper and add the saffron and egg yolks. With motor running slowly, add the olive oil in a thin steady stream. When it is done, it should be like a thick mayonnaise. Add lemon juice and cayenne and taste for seasoning.
• Alternatively, you can make the aioli in a mortar and pestle, which is the traditional way.
• Yield: 2 cups

SAFFRON CAKES WITH LEMON-FIG COMPOTE

Steps:

• Coat ten 6-ounce ramekins with margarine or butter; dust with granulated sugar. Chill in freezer 10 minutes.
• Finely grind walnuts with 1/4 cup sugar in a food processor; set aside. Stir wine, saffron, and vanilla in a bowl; set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put margarine or butter and 1 cup sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Mix in yolks and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Fold in walnut mixture, then saffron mixture. Stir in lemon zest.
• Put egg whites, cream of tartar, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed until foamy. Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar; beat until stiff peaks form.
• Using a large rubber spatula, fold one-third of the egg white mixture into the walnut mixture. Fold in remaining egg white mixture. Spoon into ramekins.
• Bake until tops are deep golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool slightly on wire racks. Run a knife around edges of cakes to loosen; unmold onto racks, and let cool completely. Dust with confectioners' sugar, and serve with compote.

SAFFRON RICE CAKES

Steps:

• For Rice:
• Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and pepper and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir to completely coat all the rice with the oil. Stir in the chicken stock, saffron, salt, to taste and the peas. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook until the liquid has been absorbed and rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool until slightly warm, about 30 minutes.
• For Rice cakes
• Using a small ice cream scoop or tablespoon, scoop out tablespoon-size balls of rice and form into cakes, about 1 1/2 inches diameter. Put the cakes in a baking dish and layer between sheets of waxed paper.
• In a small bowl, beat together 2 eggs with 1/4 cup of water. Put the bread crumbs into a shallow dish. Dredge each of the rice cakes into the egg mixture and then into the bread crumbs, making sure they are completely coated. Transfer the breaded cakes to a baking dish that has a layer of bread crumbs on the bottom. Layer the cakes between sheets of waxed paper and sprinkle the layers with bread crumbs.
• Heat the oil in large saute pan over medium-high heat. Fry the cakes in batches, 3 to 4 minutes per side or until golden brown. Place onto a baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain. Blot the tops of the cakes with paper towel to remove excess oil.
• Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with a dollop of sour cream and bit of tapenade.

SAFFRON CAKES

Steps:

• In a small bowl combine yeast and granulated sugar and stir in 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water. Let mixture stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. In another small bowl combine boiling water and saffron.
• Into a bowl sift 1 1/2 cups flour and stir in yeast mixture and powdered milk, stirring to make a batter. Let batter rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place 30 minutes.
• In bowl of a standing electric mixer stir together remaining 4 cups flour, superfine sugar, and salt and blend in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add batter, saffron mixture, and remaining 3/4 cup lukewarm water and with paddle attachment beat on low speed until smooth, soft, and sticky. Let dough rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. and butter eighteen 1/2-cup muffin tins.
• Punch down dough and beat with paddle attachment on low speed 5 minutes. Add orange peel, raisins, and currants and beat until combined well. With a 1/4-cup measure scoop dough into muffin tins and let rise, covered with buttered wax paper and kitchen towels, in a warm place until dough is level with tops of tins, about 30 minutes.
• Bake cakes in middle of oven 20 minutes, or until golden, and cool on racks. Cakes may be made 1 day ahead and cooled before keeping in airtight containers.

SAFFRON RICE CAKES:

Steps:

• Cook saffron rice (or, if you don't have, equal amount of rice-a-roni of some flavor) according to directions on package. Cool off in the fridge (VERY necessary step because of the eggs) until at least room temp.
• Heat a skillet on medium-high heat and drizzle with olive oil. Too the cooled rice, beat in the eggs and parmesan.
• Add rice mixture by one tablespoonful drops to the hot oil. Allow to brown on one side, flip, brown the other. Cook in batches so you don't overcrowd the pan.