Saffron Fish Soup
Used throughout history in Cleopatra's bath milk, as a cure for the bubonic plague, a treatment for the mad, and a dye for the royal robes, the king of spices is also jolly good in a soup.
While working on the Saffron Flower Festival post a couple of weeks ago, I learned that one of Cleopatra’s beauty tips was to bathe in saffron-infused mare’s milk before hooking up with a suitor. By my calculation, that would require a lot more saffron than the 0.4 grams I bought from Sainsbury’s for £2.85. And rather than adding the sheen of golden shade on an already dark and silken figure, the spice would no doubt turn my pasty white skin into a nicotine-stained mess. So, I decided to mix my meagre purchase into food instead.
Saffron has been the coveted spice of choice for thousands of years, used not only in food, but as an antidote for the bubonic plague, as an aphrodisiac, and as a fabric dye for royal robes, Persian rugs and funeral shrouds. It was even used as a cheap gold substitute in the manuscripts of medieval monks who discovered that creating a glue of egg whites and a strand of saffron gave them a golden yellow glaze.
The Greeks and Romans added it to their perfumes and medicines, with Roman physicians going as far as rubbing a saffron paste onto the heads of the mad. According to the Greeks who enjoyed creating origin stories for virtually everything they could see in the world, the Crocus saffron flower came about when Hermes accidently killed his friend Crocus during a game of discus. Blood flowed from the deep wound, seeping into the ground from whence sprouted the first purple Crocus flower.
Saffron adds a subtle, yet distinct, flavour and aroma to many recipes. It goes wonderfully with seafood, risottos, potatoes, breads, pastries, pie crusts, cakes, bechamel sauces, custards and other creamy desserts, and of course it would be considered a crime to attempt a paella without saffron.
There is a recipe for swan from Le Viandier de Taillevent, a cookbook from 1300, which requires skinning the bird before roasting it on a spit. While it is hanging over the fire, you must “glaze it with saffron; and when it is cooked, it should be redressed in its skin, with the neck either straight or flat. Endorse the feathers and head with a paste made of egg yolks mixed with saffron and honey.”
However, as delightful as that sounds, I have decided to go with something else today. The evenings are getting nippy now in Old Blighty and the quick easy salads of summer just aren’t doing it for me. A hearty, warming, autumnal fishy soup flavoured with the aromatic earthy saffron spice is just the thing to hit the spot.
So, with stories of Persian kings, Greek gods, and Cleopatra’s golden milk bath as inspiration, what else was there for me to do? I poured myself a glass of chilled white wine and popped an old CD on the stereo. With the energetic rhythms of John Mellencamp complaining about social injustices pumping in the background and the cat critically eyeing my crazed dance moves, I set about creating a fish soup - a la española.
This dish exudes the delicious Spanish combination of garlic, smoked paprika, seafood, and saffron. If fish stock is as hard to get hold of for you as it is for me, feel free to use chicken stock instead. For the extra fishy flavour, I added a dash of fish sauce in the chicken stock. 👀 (yeah, I know…)
Saffron Fish Soup
(serves 2-4)
1 onion
4 cloves garlic
1 carrot
1 stick celery
Olive oil
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp tarragon
5 cups fish or chicken broth
¼ tsp saffron strands
½ cup fideo noodles, or spaghetti broken up into small pieces
2 cod fillets
12 raw prawns
2 bay leaves
A little lemon
Sea salt, black pepper, fresh parsley.
Putting it together….
Sauté the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic in a generous dash of olive oil.
Add the paprika, tarragon, bay leaves, and stock.
As it comes to the simmer, add a little of the liquid to the saffron strands before adding it to the pot. (I’m not sure if this makes any difference but it’s a good opportunity to admire the colour and aroma of this magnificent spice.)
Add the pasta and leave to simmer gently.
Chop up the fish and season it along with the prawns.
Just before the pasta is at the al dente stage, add the fish and prawns and cook for another minute or two.
Season to taste.
Take it off the heat and add a squeeze of lemon juice and the chopped parsley.