Saffron, Vanilla & Chili Sauce
What do The French Laundry and the great British fish and chip shop have in common?
Happy Sunday!
It’s been a busy week over here. Apple day, foraging for rose hips and now, Sunday’s star recipe - three posts in three days! Feel free to scroll back to catch up.
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What on earth does a 3 star Michelin restaurant in Yountville, California, and the good ol’ humble British fish & chip shop have in common? Not much as it turns out, except I was inspired by both for today’s recipe. Read on!
A symphony, a play in four parts, an anthology of sonnets should all be dedicated to this sauce, it is just that good.
This saffron and vanilla sauce is quite unlike anything I have ever tasted, and so it should be. A whole vanilla bean/pod, saffron, homemade mussel stock with prosecco, good quality butter and double cream are just some of the ingredients. The only thing missing is a solid bar of gold. If you make this sauce, it may be bread and butter for the rest of the week, but it’s totally worth it.
Yes, it is unapologetically luxurious and rather fiddly to produce, but cor blimey, it is just about the most delicious thing I have recently had the pleasure of eating.
Sweet and buttery with hints of the ocean complemented by deep warming notes of chili - this sauce is reminiscent of salted vanilla caramel mixed with a seriously elevated version of fish & chip shop curry sauce (Brits will know). Trust me, it is well worth setting aside the time to make this ambrosial creation, you won’t be disappointed. When you do finally commit, you will discover this sauce pairs well with virtually any seafood and is even good enough to eat in spoonfuls straight from the pot - ask my Dad!
Due to the rich complexity of this butter heavy sauce, I wanted to name this recipe Saffron, Vanilla and Chili Beurre Blanc. Purists, however, would no doubt object to the recipe being referred to as a beurre blanc due to the addition of cream. Fair enough! Nevertheless, the addition of cream creates a stable base for this sauce, and also, in highly technical terms, it adds an extra layer of yum.
Right, now that the housekeeping is out the way, I can tell you that the original idea for this recipe came from Chef Thomas Keller, or The Gentleman Chef, as my husband and I like to call him. Black Sea bass, with sweet parsnips, arrow leaf spinach and saffron-vanilla sauce. Doesn’t that sound lovely? So lovely, that I have had page 146 in The French Laundry Cookbook bookmarked for a long, long time. The other morning over my usual cappuccino, I found myself once again perusing the recipe. Perhaps it was a sense of bold curiosity and confidence or simply the caffeine, but I finally felt brave enough to have a go.
Mussel stock
I didn’t feel like fiddling around with scrubbing and debearding mussels as Keller suggests, so I skipped down to Marks and Spencer (I’m currently in England) and bought vacuum-packed mussels with shallots and garlic.
In the process of following the instructions for the mussel stock, instead of the recommended 1 cup of white wine, I substituted 1 cup of left-over prosecco - a rare occurence in our house! I also added an extra cup of homemade fish stock, made with sea bass bones from a lovely supper the night before - see, I am somewhat economical! Of course, if you are pressed for time you could always buy a high-quality fish stock. But to be honest, if you are pressed for time you won’t be fiddling around with this recipe anyway.
Saffron and Vanilla Sauce
For the completion of the sauce I added chili flakes and a whole vanilla bean (pod). Chef Keller suggests ½ vanilla bean, but I believe you should measure vanilla with your heart, and my heart dictates, more is more!
To serve:
My favorite seafood pairing consists of pan-fried juicy scallops or king prawns served artfully in a shell. Of course, you will also require a modish dark plate as a canvas for this decadent offering. Only joking, use whatever you like.
Why not use this recipe as an excuse to host a dinner party? If you serve this as an amuse bouche or starter, your guests will be begging for the recipe - worth the bread and butter diet eh?!
Mussel fish stock:
500g mussels
2 fat cloves garlic
1 large shallot
4-6 sprigs thyme
2-3 bay leaves
1 cup dry white wine (or prosecco)
1 cup of homemade fish or vegetable stock (optional)
Method
Place the mussels, together with the rest of the ingredients, in a medium sized saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil.
Remove the mussels as soon as they start to open. Alternatively, you can buy vacuum packed mussels in a marinade from your local supermarket. If this is your preferred option, simply empty the contents into a saucepan, cover and then simmer gently over a moderate heat for 4-5 minutes.
Once the mussels are removed they can be enjoyed as a light lunch or delicious snack. Meanwhile, continue to simmer the remaining stock, without the lid, for a further 5 minutes.
Now, strain the stock and once cool decant into an airtight container or zip lock bag. You can then either freeze the stock or store in the refrigerator for three to four days.
Note:
You could, of course, omit these steps and simply buy fish stock from the supermarket. In my opinion, however, there is nothing quite like the heady aroma of a homemade stock or the satisfaction of having created such a delicious elixir.
Saffron Vanilla Chili Sauce
(serves 4)
1 whole vanilla bean/pod
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 cup mussel stock (or fish stock)
¼ tsp, saffron
½ cup of heavy (double) cream
10 tbsp/140g butter, (cubed)
½ -1 tsp chili flakes (according to taste)
1-2 tsp corn flour slurry (optional)
Method:
Pour the mussel/fish stock into a medium saucepan placed over low heat.
Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the saucepan then add the vanilla pod, sugar and saffron threads. Bring the stock to a gentle simmer and reduce to a glaze.
Now, gently whisk in the cream, and simmer for a few seconds until fully amalgamated.
Increase the stove setting to low-medium heat and gradually whisk in the butter. At this point the sauce will have thickened slightly. Finally, add the chili flakes.
Optional step – add 1- 2 tsp of corn flour slurry if you want a thicker consistency.
Strain the sauce through a sieve or chinois.
Keep sauce in a warm place until ready to serve, or cool and store in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
This sounds like a sauce I would add to EVERYTHING!!