The saffron is one of the spices most used in Italian cuisine, one of the most versatile and best suited to many different dishes, both savory and sweet. Let's find out how to use it and four recipes for first is dessert.

Saffron in pistils

The saffron in pistils is the ideal if you want to give your dishes a strong and very flavored flavor. The preparation will certainly require more time compared to that of the saffron powder but the result will repay the wait.

There are two methods to use saffron in pistils, a faster one, if you have less time available, and a slower one, if instead you can take it easy. Let's start from fastest method. Put the saffron pistils, at least twenty, in a cup with hot but not boiling water (milk or broth is fine too) and leave them in infusion for about twenty minutes. Break the pistils with a knife and stir.

The longer method, instead, provides that theinfusion lasts at least two hours and that – in this time frame – you make sure that the water temperature is always constant, perhaps by putting the cup on a radiator, or near enough to a heat source. When the pistils are completely dissolved, yours brew with saffron it will be ready to be used. You can then pour it directly into the dough you have prepared or in the risotto that is cooking.

Saffron risotto

The saffron risotto is one of the great classics of the Italian cuisine and saffron is the most important ingredient for the success of the dish. Here we present the recipe classic but you can embellish your dish with an even tastier variation, with the addition of sausage fresh, for example, or a vegetable to your liking that will further dry the dish making the flavor even more decisive.

Ingredients

400 g of high quality rice
50 g of beef marrow
100 g of butter
beef broth
chopped onion
saffron pistils
dry white wine
Parmesan or grated parmesan

Preparation

Brown the chopped onion in a pan with half of the butter you have set aside and the beef marrow. As soon as the onion looks golden, add the rice and toast it. At this point add in wine and, on high heat, turn until it has evaporated. It's time to add the broth, remember to lower the heat and keep stirring constantly with energy. When the rice start to be quite cooked add the saffron (and the sausage or vegetables you have chosen) and continue stirring until the rice is completely cooked. At this point, turn off the heat, add the remaining butter and the parmesan and stir vigorously. Decorate it with some saffron pistils and serve.

Sardinian Pardulas

The pardulas they are one of the typical sweets of the Sardinian tradition. They are usually prepared in festivity but they are so good that if you propose them during the year nobody will be able to tell you no. The preparation is simple and fast and, even in this case, the role of saffron is essential for the excellent success of the sweet.

Ingredients

For the external pastry
200 g of durum wheat flour
200 g of flour 00 1 teaspoon of lard (optional)
2 egg whites
200 ml of warm water
salt

For the stuffing
500 g of cow or sheep ricotta
icing sugar
2 egg yolks
1000 g of 00 flour
saffron powder or better still in pistils to be dissolved in hot water
Lemon peel
salt

Preparation

Mix the flour 00 with the semolina ones and, together with the salt, add the egg whites. Start pouring warm water over the mixture and continue stirring to form a dough free of lumps. Let it rest for at least half an hour. Now that the pastry is ready it is time to prepare the stuffed. Drain the well ricotta cheese and add in a large bowl the egg yolks, the sugar and the zest of lemon. Continue stirring and add the saffron (remember to be sure that the pistils have dissolved) and the salt.

Roll out the dough and make circles of about 12 cm in diameter, fill them with an adequate dose of filling and close them carefully. Cook your pardulas in oven very hot at about 150 degrees for 25/30 minutes. When you see them well golden they will be ready, wait for them to cool and submerge them sugar icing.

Saffron creme brûlée

One of the desserts most famous in the world with the addition of the most famous spice: the result can only be delicious! A review of the classic recipe that will add the taste and the color of saffron to the classic recipe of crème brûlée.

Ingredients

350 ml milk
350 ml cream
15 quality saffron pistils
150 g caster sugar
2 eggs
5 egg yolks
sugar cane

Preparation

Put in a bowl the eggs and the yolks. Add the sugar and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Melt the saffron pistils with the cream and milk and add the liquid to your mixture very gently. Pour the mixture into one-portion containers and add a little water. Bake in a preheated oven at 150 ° C for about 1 hour. After cooling your crème brûlée, add it to the surface sugar cane previously caramelized and served.

Saffron bread dough

A good idea could be to add saffron to your dough for the bread. The unique taste of saffron will add to the quality and irreplaceable taste of bread. To prepare it, all you have to do is add the saffron in pistils – adequately dissolved in lukewarm water – to the dough that you usually use for making bread. If you want to make your recipe even tastier you can also add the Taggiasca olives or capers.