Maybe this dish did not originate in Russia, but bring up the word Plov and a Russian will say Yummy or the equivalent there of! 🙂 It seems that Plov became a Russian tradition during the Soviet era. You can make this dish with chicken, turkey, pork, beef and lamb, or just simply without meat! So of the millions of way to prepare this dish. I chose my recipe that I served the Governor of Georgia in America once, at Georgia Military College…
Delicious Lamb Plov or Pilaf!
First the Ingredients:
4 tbsp olive oil.
1000gm cubed lamb (1 kilo)
2 large carrots sliced
2 large onions sliced
75gm dried apricots diced
50gm raisins.
700gm long grain white rice.
Sea Salt and course ground black pepper.
500ml chicken stock.
1 tsp grated orange rind.
800ml water.
2 medium red apple, cored and chopped.
2 – 3 whole garlic clusters (excess loose skin removed and top cut off, not bottom)
Next to Make:
Preheat the oven to 180 C.
Over a stove on medium heat, put the oil in a large frying pan. When the oil is hot, add the lamb cubed and fry for 5 minutes.
Remove the lamb after 5 minutes and set aside in a bowl.
Then in the same frying pan add the sliced carrots in the same oil for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Then add the sliced onions and continue to cook for another 7 minutes.
Then add the diced apricots and raisins and cook for another 2 minutes.
Then add the rice to the mixture and cook for 2 more minutes. This is an important step and if you see that the heat is not holding up well in the skillet, increase the cooking time by a few minutes with the rice.
Now add the precooked lamb that you set aside in a bowl earlier, to the mixture in the skillet. Make sure all meat juices are added also! 🙂
Add salt and pepper to taste – even if you do not use salt – you need to add a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper. They are very important to release the natural flavors of the dish. Just a pinch…
Then add the chicken stock, orange rind and water. (Stir thoroughly)
Bring back to a boil in the skillet and transfer all the contents of the skillet to an oven proof dish that will hold the contents comfortably. (allow for expansion of the rice)
This is where the garlic cluster come into play: Insert the garlic clusters into the mixture.
Remember that we preheated the oven to 180 degrees C. and bake for 40 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed. (all liquid must be absorbed and do not stir while baking – repeat do not stir while baking)
After around 40 to 50 minutes you can remove the Plov from the oven. Now stir the Plov to mix all well… (care with the garlic clusters)
Scream for the family to come and eat…
Time to Eat: Take apple slices and lay them on the plate first. Take a nice scoop of Plov and cover the apples and those who love garlic get a cluster!
Yummy – Serves 6-8.
Posted by Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia