You probably already know the effect of saffron in paellas, rice dishes and stews. By adding just a few strands of saffron to a recipe, the flavour, aroma, and even colour will change, giving your dish a very distinctive character.
To prepare the saffron infusion for rice, all you need is some saffron threads and hot water. As the saffron stigma is quite potent, you won’t need large quantities to obtain a very colourful and tasty infusion that you can then add to a fabulous Valencian paella and achieve an unbeatable result.
Keep reading to learn all about this simple cooking technique that will enhance the flavor of your rice and paella dishes.
What is saffron and what is it used for infusing paella?
Saffron infusion is a type of broth in which fine saffron threads are soaked in hot water to extract all their aroma, colour and flavour. This process allows the soluble compounds of the flower’s stigma to dissolve in the hot liquid, creating a concentrated infusion that can be added to various recipes such as rice dishes or paellas.
Benefits of saffron infusion in paella
Among the main benefits of preparing saffron infusion for rice we can highlight several fundamental aspects.
Flavor enhancement
Infusing saffron will dissolve it in a liquid medium and will facilitate its incorporation into any dish to which it is added, as it will integrate much better into the preparation, enhancing its flavour even more.
Color enhancement
Its characteristic reddish-yellow hue will be completely released when the infusion is prepared, so the color it will give to your preparations will be more powerful and homogeneous.
The aromatic contribution
As for the aromas, as soon as you prepare the infusion and add it to the recipe, you will see how the floral and earthy notes are enhanced and integrated much better into the preparation.
How to infuse saffron for paella
The first thing you should keep in mind when preparing the infusion is to choose a quality saffron and check that the strands are long and thin and have an intense red hue.
Heat the water
The first step is to heat the water in a saucepan over medium heat. The temperature is crucial to obtain an optimal infusion, extracting all the aromatic and flavor compounds of the saffron. To do this, you just need to heat the water until it starts to boil and then remove it from the heat.
Add the saffron threads
Then add the saffron threads, between 5 and 10 threads will be enough for every 250 ml of water depending on the intensity you desire.
Let the infusion rest
Cover the infusion with plastic wrap to maintain the water temperature and let it sit for 10 minutes.
Strain the infusion
For a finer result, strain your infusion using a small strainer to remove any remaining saffron threads.
Add the infusion after the broth or fumet
The time to add the saffron infusion to the paella is just after adding the water, broth or stock to the rice so that the rice grains absorb the flavor of the saffron along with the broth.
Tips for making saffron infusion for paella and other rice dishes
To obtain a golden and tasty infusion, we recommend that you take into account the following tips:
- Use a good quality saffron
- Measure the correct amount of water and saffron
- Control the water temperature
- Do not let the infusion sit for more than 10 minutes.
- Filter the infusion before adding it to the recipe.