Three ways with saffron

While most of the saffron available in Australia comes from Iran, many chefs prefer to buy Spanish saffron, believing the flavour and aroma to be richer. Chef Aven Watson advises that readers roast saffron strands for 15-20 seconds (''until it is slightly darker'') before using in the following recipes.

Saffron, ham and pearl barley soup

Saute 1 diced onion, 3 diced celery sticks, 2 diced carrots, 1 clove of garlic, 1 ham hock (meat pulled from bone), 1 cup pearl barley and 1 tsp cumin. Add a good pinch of saffron, 15 sprigs thyme (chopped). Deglaze with 200ml dry sherry. Add 2 litres chicken stock and simmer until the barley is soft enough to eat. (Serves 6.)

Saffron and yoghurt panna cotta with poached pears in molasses and coriander

Heat 100ml milk, 100ml double cream, 1 sliced vanilla bean, a pinch of saffron and 2 gelatin leaves. Stir in 50g sugar until dissolved. Bring to the boil, take off the heat and cool. Whisk in 370g natural yoghurt then strain through a fine sieve and pour into five dariole moulds. Set in refrigerator for at least 5 hours. Make a sugar syrup (150g sugar and 150ml water) and 150ml sweet white wine and bring to boil. Peel and core two pears and cut into quarters. Immerse pears in the sugar-wine liquid. Add 2 cinnamon sticks, 4 cloves, a coriander root and stem. Bring to the boil, then turn off the heat and cover saucepan with a lid. Cool until pears are room temperature, then remove from the syrup. Remove panna cotta from moulds. Lift the side of the mould from the panna cotta using your thumb to create an air pocket and shake free. Slice the pear quarters then fan out next to each panna cotta and drizzle with 1-2 tbsp of sugar-wine syrup; don't pour syrup on panna cotta. (Makes 5.)

Fillet of blue eye, kipfler potatoes and saffron butter sauce

Make a reduction of 600ml chicken stock and 200ml dry white wine with 2 sliced shallots, 1 garlic clove, some peppercorns and 2 pinches of saffron. Simmer until liquid is reduced to 200ml (should take about 25 minutes). Strain liquid and leave aside. In a separate pot of water add some rosemary, garlic, 800g kipfler potatoes, some salt and cook until potatoes are almost soft. Let cool then slice in half from tip to tip. Season the potato pieces in salt, pepper and olive oil and bake on a tray in the oven until golden-brown. Pan-fry six blue-eye fillets then transfer onto a tray and finish in the oven at about 200C for about six minutes. While fish is in oven add the saffron reduction liquid to the pan the fish was fried in and whisk in 60g cold, cubed butter until mix emulsifies. To serve, wilt some black kale and place on a plate. Place potatoes on top of kale then the fish. Spoon the saffron sauce around the fish then sprinkle chopped chives over the sauce to create the green and yellow contrast. (Serves 6.)

Note: Saffron butter sauce is suitable for almost all types of white flesh fish.

According to Aven Watson, Footscray Milking Station, 35 Bunbury Street, Footscray, (03) 9029 9240.

Interview: Jane Holroyd