Recipes for testing out your love — or hate — for saffron

This past week, I went out to dinner with some friends at Pijja Palace, the sports bar-cum-restaurant in Silver Lake serving up Indian-Italian mash-ups. We ordered their kesar shells and cheese, and the dish came to the table in a glow of gold. I hadn’t read the ingredient list on the menu, so I was expecting a hit of turmeric from the color, but instead I got the faintest whisper of saffron (kesar is the Indian word for saffron, which I just learned writing this!).

The saffron mingled well with ground Indian long pepper — a type of dried black pepper with distinctive musky, floral notes — and Parmesan cheese in the sauce, and I kept digging in for more. I told everyone at our table that I thought the saffron was great and used in just the right amount. Another friend agreed, but our partners did not. I had forgotten how polarizing saffron can be: Some people love the warmth it brings to a dish, while others feel a metallic tang on their tongue. Like cilantro, it has extreme fans and extreme detractors. (We talked about this phenomenon directly with the chef, so they won’t be surprised reading this.)

As a fan of saffron, it rekindled my interest in a spice that I use when making the rare risotto Milanese or Spanish paella. And though it is expensive, a little goes a very long way, so I always advocate for the tiniest pinch, especially because then the spice doesn’t overwhelm a dish but enhances the other ingredients.

As I’ve said for what feels like the millionth time, I love rice; it’s rare I go a day without eating it in some form. To me, saffron has no better flavor companion than rice; it complements the grain’s nuttiness like no other spice. And while risotto Milanese is a classic, I much prefer a stove-top pilaf-style Saffron Rice, teeming with crunchy pistachios and chewy barberries and scented with other spices like cinnamon, cardamom and black pepper. A sprinkling of caramelized onions and a spoonful of yogurt finishes it off in fine fashion, and I can’t imagine a cozier, more satisfying dinner.

If I’m looking to flex some saucemaking muscles, I’ll make these Scallops in Saffron Sauce. I’ve been known to sit down with a dozen sautéed scallops and eat them alone for a meal, so this sauce would give me something to dip them into at least. Saffron is an accent in a cream sauce perfumed with curry leaves, curry powder, onion, garlic and white pepper, but the ruby strands still make their presence known, complementing the salinity in the scallops beautifully.

Saffron provides that same flavor support to olive oil-packed sardines in my Romanesco con le Sarde, a play on the classic Sicilian pasta. The fish and saffron break down in an intoxicating sauce of tomato paste, golden raisins and pine nuts that blankets roasted romanesco in lieu of the traditional linguine pasta. A topping of toasted breadcrumbs gives the savory, perfumed dish plenty of crunch and contrast to the yielding romanesco, which can easily be substituted with cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts or, best of all, wedges of cabbage.

And for a dessert to show off saffron in a sweet context, I can’t wait to make this ‘Igaili this weekend. An Arabian sponge cake often served for Eid, the cake is perfumed with saffron and cardamom — the two spices are a heavenly duo here — and filled with tiny pearls of sweet dates. And the color is a striking reminder of the spice within that, whether you love it or hate it, makes its presence known.

Saffron Rice

Basmati rice is sautéed with cinnamon, cardamom and black pepper in this comforting dish. Saffron “tea” is added toward the end of cooking, infusing the rice with flavor and the signature brilliant yellow of the spice.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 30 minutes.

(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Scallops in Saffron Sauce

Seared scallops here are subtly flavored by a sauce made with curry leaves, curry powder and saffron. The pepperiness of the curry leaves blends with the saffron and stands up to the meaty, sweet scallops.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 30 minutes.

(Eric Boyd / Los Angeles Times)

Romanesco con le Sarde

This dish — inspired by the classic Sicilian pasta con le sarde — blankets tender wedges of roasted romanesco in a sauce made of golden raisins, pine nuts, saffron and sardines. For a milder flavor, use high-quality canned tuna instead of sardines.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 1 hour.

(Ben Mims/Los Angeles Times)

‘Igaili (Cardamom-Saffron Sponge Cake)

The light, airy texture of this sponge cake showcases sweet dates, walnuts and sesame seeds added to the batter. It’s very aromatic, thanks to a liberal spicing with cardamom and saffron, and traditionally accompanied by a cup of sweet black tea.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 1 hour 10 minutes.

(Stephen Osman/Los Angeles Times)