Saffron Mashed Potatoes {Giveaway}

Add a touch of gourmet with a very simple ingredient. Whip up some golden Saffron Mashed Potatoes for your next meal!

With this week of thanks upon us, I know one thing I am thankful for: I do not have to host the Thanksgiving dinner this year! My mom has volunteered to do that.

Since this will be the first Thanksgiving in YEARS that I will be celebrating with my parents, it certainly will be a special time. Of course, not hosting does not mean not cooking. I have my to-do list, so pardon my short post!

I mentioned before about my potato harvest experience in Idaho. Well, waiting for me when I arrived home was a giant box of freshly harvested Idaho potatoes. What a great gift! You could smell the freshness, as the potatoes still had genuine Idaho dirt on them!

And as promised, here are the first of many potato recipes I have to share with you!

Mashed potatoes are a staple in the Thanksgiving meal, but my family certainly enjoys them all year round. Whether you like them plain or jazz it up with extra ingredients, mashed potatoes scream “comfort food” to me.

I decided to add a little Persian touch to my recipe with the addition of saffron. This is such a simple way to add a bit of gourmet to a family classic.

For 3-pounds of potatoes, I used a pinch of saffron threads. Once crushed in my mortar and pestle, it yields about ¼-teaspoon of powder. For more Persian flavor, add a dash of golpar, Persian Hogweed (Heracleum persicum), to each serving (read all about golpar here).

And look at the golden color. I can’t describe the smell, but trust me. It’s there.

About Saffron

Remember, high quality saffron threads are not orange or yellow, but DEEP red. You know you have saffron but it’s amazing aroma, right out of the jar/pouch! Always buy your saffron in threads, not powdered, as many powdered versions have added dyes to it.

Yes, saffron is expensive, but very little goes a long, long way. And my last tip: Do not substitute saffron with turmeric. They may both turn your food golden, but they are two completely different spices with different flavor profiles.

Curious about saffron? You can learn more about saffron or even buy high quality Persian saffron on my blog.

Continue to Content

Yield: serves 6

Saffron Mashed Potatoes

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Add a touch of gourmet with a very simple ingredient. Whip up some golden Saffron Mashed Potatoes for your next meal!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 lb russet potatoes
• 1 ¾ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon crushed saffron
• 2 TBS hot water
• ⅔ cup whole milk
• 2 TBS unsalted butter

Instructions

1. Wash, peel and cut potatoes into big chunks.
2. Place potatoes in a medium-sized pot, cover with water and add 1 tap salt.
3. Cover pot and bring water to a boil over high heat. When water comes to a boil, take lid off and reduce heat to medium-low until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
4. While potatoes are cooking, combine saffron and 2 TBS hot water in a small bowl. Let saffron steep and set aside.
5. When potatoes are fork tender, drain in a colander.
6. Add milk, butter and ¾ teaspoon salt into the hot pot back and warm over low heat.
7. Stir until butter has melted, then pour in the reserved saffron water. Mix until combined.
8. Return potatoes to the pot. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher until well blended and uniformly golden.
9. Serve warm.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

½ cup
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 271Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 723mgCarbohydrates: 50gFiber: 5gSugar: 4gProtein: 7g

Giveaway Time!

Yup, it’s that time of the year! I have 5-grams of HIGH QUALITY Persian saffron to giveaway to one lucky reader. The retail value of this is approximately $50. Saffron is a lot like gold and oil prices. The price varies based on demand and quality. This is premium saffron that I use regularly in my cooking. And 5-grams will definitely last you even a busy food blogger a a year or two! So don’t be afraid to use it beyond the paella recipe. You can find all of my saffron recipes here for more inspiration!

To enter the giveaway:

1. Leave a comment below telling me what you would make with your free saffron. (This is necessary for the contest)

Optional ways to gain extra entries:

2. Subscribe to my blog here AND receive my FREE Saffron Ebook.

3. Share this post on your favorite social media channels: Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest. Just be sure to tag me on the share and leave the URL here in the comments.

This giveaway is open to U.S. and international residents alike!!! Giveaway ends December 2nd, 2014. 

AND I’m giving away a very cool Nutri Ninja Ninja Blender! Click here to enter THAT giveaway!

Happy holidays and good luck to you all!

Disclosure: The Idaho Potato Commission provided me with beautiful Russet Potatoes that I used for this recipe. I was not compensated in any other way for this post. I am providing the 5-grams of saffron for the giveaway. The opinions I expressed here are mine. If I didn’t like it, I wouldn’t blog about!