Best recipes for leftovers: Crisp potato salad with saffron, salad onions and chives recipe
Posted by Fiona Nevile in Leftovers, Vegetarian | 8 comments
Photo: Crisp potato salad
Danny and I are not Salad People. I don’t know quite what Salad People are – I imagine them chomping quinoa and feeling rather smug about their bowel movements. We tried quinoa once.
This summer I have been seducing D with salads and dressings that have made this meat and two veg man finally throw down his fork and rush for the salad seed section of the garden centre.
This salad was an experiment that turned out to be a bit of a winner. I’ve been playing with saffron quite a lot over the past couple of months. I decided to slice some waxy leftover potatoes and fry them very slowly in just olive oil and saffron. Waxy potatoes are perfect for this dish as they stay intact in the frying pan. The secret is low heat and only turn the spuds when they no longer stick to the pan (after about ten minutes).
The result was superb but fairly rich. A perfect side dish. It was accompanied by a large Crudités salad, fresh from the kitchen garden – Iceburg lettuce, raw courgettes, cauliflower and baby broad beans. And a few slices of cold organic St Clement’s Chicken.
Crisp potato salad with saffron, salad onions and chives recipe
Ingredients:
- 8 – 10 small waxy leftover potatoes sliced into 1 cm rings
- 2 tbsp of olive oil
- Large pinch of saffron
- 3 salad onions
- 1 heaped tsp of chopped fresh chives
- 2-3 tbsp of decent mayonnaise with a tiny dash of French mustard
Method:
- Heat the olive oil gently in a large sauté pan.
- Add saffron and the sliced potatoes. Let the potatoes sit still for about ten minutes until they no longer stick and then turn them carefully over.
- Meanwhile chop the salad onions and the chives and prepare the mayonnaise.
- When the potatoes are crisp remove them from the pan using a slotted spoon and drain them on some kitchen roll.
- Toss them in the mayonnaise sprinkle with the onions and chives and serve.
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I find it very funny that “derry” advises us to go to his/her website to learn more about saffron, but the whole thing’s in French. *lol* Obviously, I’m just not cultured enough. I’m trying the saffron potatoes tonight, my husband’s just as fond of potatoes as your Danny seems to be, let’s hope my attempt passes muster! Love your blog, I’m a regular reader now.
Hi,
Saffron is not soluble in oil or fat. It is soluble in water, milk, wine, fruit juices etc.
The best way to use saffron is to steep the filaments in the liquid for a minimum of 20 minutes and use this liquid in the recipe.
So, for instance, if you were to make creme brulee au saffron, add the saffron filaments to 2 tablespoons of milk in a cup, heat in microwave for 20 seconds and leave to infuse for 20 minutes. Add this “tea” to your recipe.
Just adding a pinch of saffron to a recipe will add colour to the dish but not the delicate taste of saffron.
Yes, it is expensive. In fact, it is more expensive then gold. One kilo of saffron is 30,000 euros. I cultivate saffron in France and to obtain one gram of saffron I have to pick between 150 and 200 flowers.
Turmeric does not work as a substitute for saffron but is often added to powdered saffron to add bulk.
Take a look at my website to learn more.
Thanks for the recipes on your site. It has given me lots of ideas.
Thank you
I never thought of using saffron, it look great. I’ll try it.
Hello Paul
I think that turmeric would work well as an alternative to saffron.
That Cuban recipe sounds delicious. Thank you.
Yum. Once upon a time I lived in America and the version of this I picked up from Cuban friends involved good olive oil, a little sweet smoky paprika, onions and green beans. All slowly fried, as you say. A different beastie, to be sure, but delicious. I wonder if tumeric might work as an almost acceptable sub for saffron? I’ve always been a bit intimadated by the cost of saffron.
Hi Linda
I’ll try doing that. We loathed it the one and only time that I cooked it!
Hi Susan
It’s very yummy – you don’t need very much as it’s quite rich.
That recipe sounds yummy! I have just dug up some new pots in my garden today and they are a waxy variety. Think I’ll be trying this later on in the week :0)
Try making quinoa with beef stock – much tastier!