Not an easy recipe but worth the
effort!
Michael Rossi and his wife, Dolly
"However, the ultimate result is always
satisfying, because Saffron and Dungeness Crab both have tremendous
personality. I find this dish irresistible!!
These
are not ingredients that we have stored in our ice boxes all the time, but
for that special occasion……..they are worth going down to the Marketplace
for!
Please enjoy with a glass of Chardonnay that shows off the highlights of the
toasted barrel with hints of creamy fruits, spiced aromas and fresh
acidity!"
Bon Appetito!!!"
Chef Michael Rossi
Saffron
"It's no wonder that saffron -- the
yellow-orange stigmas from a small purple crocus (Crocus sativus) -- is
the world's most expensive spice. Each flower provides only three stigmas,
which must be carefully hand-picked and then dried--an extremely
labor-intensive process. It takes over 14,000 of these tiny stigmas for each
ounce of saffron.
Thousands of years ago saffron was used
not only to flavor food and beverages but to make medicines and to dye cloth
and body oils a deep yellow. Today this pungent, aromatic spice is primarily
used to flavor and tint food. Fortunately (because it's so pricey), a little
saffron goes a long way. It's integral to hundreds of dishes like
bouillabaisse, risotto Milanese and paella, and flavors many European baked
goods.
Saffron is marketed in both powdered form
and in threads (the whole stigmas). Powdered saffron loses its flavor more
readily and can be easily adulterated with imitations. The threads should be
crushed just before using. Store saffron airtight in a cool, dark place for
up to 6 months."
--Copyright (c) 1995 by Barron's Educational Series, from The New Food
Lover's Companion, Second Edition, by Sharon Tyler Herbst
Source:
Food
Network
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Handmade Saffron
Tagliorini (Angel Hair pasta) with Dungeness Crab Essence
From Chef Michael Rossi
A very special meal
Ingredients
Pasta
5 each - Egg yolks 2 ½ cups - All purpose flour pinch - Saffron, dissolved in 1 tbsp. of ice water
Sauce 1 tbsp. - Butter 1 tbsp. - Shallot, chopped 2 lbs. - Fresh Dungeness
Crab meat, reserving half to fold into pasta ½ cup - White wine 2 cups - Heavy Cream To Taste - Salt and Pepper
Preparation
Pasta
Place the flour on a wooden board, and
make a well in the center. Pour the eggs into the well and add the
saffron that has bloomed in the ice water. Using a fork, mix the liquids well.
Slowly begin to draw in the dry ingredients with your fingers. Knead the dough until it is elastic (about
5-8 minutes). Cover it with a damp cloth or plastic and
let it rest for 15 minutes. Cut the dough into small pieces, depending
upon your pasta machine, and flatten them with your hand or a rolling pin. Lightly dust the dough with flour and roll
it through the machine, starting with the highest setting and gradually
decreasing the thickness until the pasta is thin and ready to be cut into
“angel hair”. You can do this by hand or you can use the
attachment you have for your machine.
Lightly dust the pasta with flour after it
has been cut, keeping it from sticking together.
Sauce
Heat
the butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat until lightly browned
and sauté the shallots until translucent. Add the Dungeness Crab meat and lightly
sauté for 1 minute. Add the white wine and allow to reduce by
three quarters (¾). Finally add the cream and allow to reduce
by one half (½). Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place in blender
or use a hand mixer,
puree until smooth. To Serve
Bring a medium sauce pot filled with
salted water to a boil. Cook the fresh Saffron pasta for 2-3
minutes and place in sauté pan with Dungeness Crab sauce. Toss in the remaining crab meat and serve.
Serves 6-8
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Interesting Facts!
Dungeness Crabs
 "The Dungeness Crab or Cancer magister gets its common name from
the town of Dungeness, Washington, now called Old Town Dungeness, where the
first commercial harvesting of the crab was done.
The Dungeness Crab is the
only commercially important crab in the state of Washington's territorial
waters and was the first shellfish harvested commercially on the North
Pacific Coast. . .
They can be found from the Aleutian Islands in Alaska to south of San
Francisco."
The Dungeness Crab
Pasta
"With
over 600 types of pasta and 2000 different names for them it would be
impossible to list all that are available to the consumer today.
All
pastas are shaped in the way they are for specific reasons and specific
types of dishes. Many of them are made hollow like penne and tortiglioni
basically in order to hold more sauce!
Then
there are the shell shaped ones such as conchiglie rigate or twisted ones
like fusilli, again an aid to sauce retention."
The Reptoire
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