saffron ice cream and honey grilled figs 

Bastani Sonnati is a Persian ice cream flavoured with saffron and rosewater and traditionally thickened with salep (sahlep, sahlab or glucomannan), a flour made from the tubers of orchids; and mastic, a resin from the mastic tree. Instead I used cornflour (cornstarch), guar gum and xantham gum. Figs were in season and a delicious accompaniment. For the ice cream,…… Continue reading saffron ice cream and honey grilled figs 

baked fish with saffron dressing

Dave cooked this amazing meal of whole baked John Dory served with grilled and steamed vegetables and a saffron dressing. The dressing was the perfect accompaniment for perfectly cooked fish. Preheat your oven or barbecue to 180ºC (375ºF). Place the fish – ours weighed 1.3kg (2.85 lbs) – onto a flat baking tray. Rub the…… Continue reading baked fish with saffron dressing

snapper with peas and saffron

David cooked this amazing recipe from Moro: the Cookbook by Sam and Sam Clark. The book focuses on dishes from Spain and the Muslim Mediterranean which were linked by the Moor’s 700-year occupation of Spain. The fish in this recipe is cooked in a saffron-infused bread and garlic sauce with peas – an interesting and…… Continue reading snapper with peas and saffron

saffron poached pear with yoghurt and pistachios

A deliciously fragrant dessert with amazing colour. Peel 6 – 8 pears leaving their stems intact, removing the hard core at the bottom and slicing a little off the bottom to help them sit straight. In a saucepan heat 2 cups of water, 2 cups of white wine, 1 cup of sugar and 1 teaspoon of…… Continue reading saffron poached pear with yoghurt and pistachios

saffron fish balls + fresh lemon salad

My husband David cooked these fish balls in a tomato sauce from a recipe by Tess Mallos in The Food of Morocco. They were light and moist and perfect served with crusty bread. In a food processor place 500g (17 oz) of skinless and boneless firm white fish (we had Ling), 1 egg, 2 spring onions, 2 tablespoons of flat-leaf parley,…… Continue reading saffron fish balls + fresh lemon salad