Try this Saffron Butter Sauce recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 4.52668625 g
- Cholesterol 457.988125 mg
- Fat 169.5325425 g
- Fiber 0.00682500016689301 g
- Protein 2.67492625 g
- Saturated Fat 107.2647745 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (312g)
- Sodium 34.749 mg
- Sugar 4.51986124983311 g
- Trans Fat 11.7226805 g
- Calories 1537 calories
Step-by-step
- In a small heavy saucepan, combine the saffron, shallot, vinegar, and wine.
- Simmer the mixture until it is reduced to about 2 Tablespoons.
- Stir in the cream and simmer the mixture, whisking occasionally, until the liquid is reduced to 2 Tablespoons.
- Season the mixture with salt and pepper.
- Reduce heat to low, and whisk in the butter, 1 piece at a time, but overlapping slightly to keep the sauce from getting too hot.
- Remove from heat, from time to time, as the butter is whisked in.
- Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Use with pasta and/or seafoods.
- Makes about 1 cup.
Cooks often ruin delicate pan sauces by boiling butter over high heat instead of maintaining a gentle low flame. When preparing this reduction, crumble the saffron threads thoroughly between your fingers before adding them to the saucepan to maximize pigment and flavor extraction into the dry white wine and vinegar. The initial reduction phase must be watched carefully until the liquid drops to precisely two tablespoons. Patience during this simmering stage prevents the aromatics from burning and sets the chemical foundation for a stable emulsion.
Whisking cold butter into a reduction requires precise thermal management that separates a smooth glossy liquid from a broken greasy mess. Incorporate the unsalted butter one piece at a time while periodically lifting the heavy saucepan completely off the burner to drop the temperature. Heavy cream added prior to the butter acts as an extra stabilizer, providing milk solids that help bind the fat molecules together. Keep the pan moving continuously so the butter melts into the liquid rather than melting apart from it.
Emulsified butter sauces do not hold well over direct heat and should never be allowed to boil once the dairy is incorporated. If you must hold the finished sauce for a few minutes before serving pasta or seafood, transfer it to a small vacuum thermos or set the pan over a bowl of warm water kept strictly below 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Excessive heat will instantly separate the milk fats from the water phase, rendering the emulsion unrecoverable. Plan your meal timing so the sauce is the absolute final component prepared before plating.
Freezing this specific emulsion is generally discouraged because high fat dairy tends to grain and separate upon thawing. Storing the sauce in the refrigerator for longer than twenty-four hours poses similar textural risks, though gentle reheating over a double boiler with a splash of warm heavy cream can sometimes rescue day-old butter sauces. Fresh preparation remains the optimal approach for preserving the vibrant color and distinct flavor profile of high quality saffron.
