One Pot Chicken and Broad Bean Plov
Last spring we had a good bounty of broad beans, also known as fava beans. These beans are big, meaty with thick pods and skins, and they do take some patience to prepare. First you shell them, then peel away the skins. It sounds like a chore, but the flavour and texture are worth it. To make things easier, I blanch the shelled beans for a minute or two in boiling water, then slip them into cold water. The skins loosen, and the bright green gems pop out with a little squeeze.
For the past few years dill has been self seeding in our veggie patch, scattering little clumps across the beds and on the path. I love dill, and after struggling to grow it by the coast in Margaret River, I am delighted by how easily it has taken here in Pemberton.
Broad beans and dill together are the taste of spring: fresh, green, and bright.
In Azerbaijan, where I grew up, plov is one of the most important dishes on the table. There are three main ways to cook it. Dosheme plov is the most festive: rice layered in a pot lined with lavash or potatoes, baked until the bottom turns golden and crisp, making a crust called gazmag.
Dashma plov is when the rice is parboiled, drained, and steamed, then served alongside meat, beans, or herbs.
And then there is doshme plov, the most practical version, where everything goes into one pot.
The plov I make here is this third kind. The rice, beans, dill, and chicken cook together, the flavours mingling into something simple but deeply satisfying.
The chicken browns first, then simmers gently in saffron broth until tender. As it bakes, the rice draws in the flavour of the chicken and dill, rich and herby, while the beans soften into creamy bites.
I serve it with a spoon of plain yoghurt and a crisp salad to keep it fresh and light.
It may not be the grand layered plov of weddings and feasts, but it is the kind of food families make at home.
One Pot Broad Bean and Chicken Plov
This chicken and broad bean plov is the dish I turn to in spring, when dill self-seeds all over the garden and the beans are fresh and green. Everything cooks together in one pot until the rice is fragrant, the beans buttery, and the chicken tender. A simple, comforting meal we love to bring straight to the table with yoghurt and salad.
Serves 6
Ingredients
4 large or 6 medium size chicken thighs (bone-in and skins on)
1 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp butter
1 large brown onion, peeled and sliced
2 cups basmati rice
2 cups chicken stock
pinch of saffron
1 cup shelled and skinned broad beans
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
Method
Rinse the rice well in several changes of cold water until the water runs clear, then cover with fresh water, stir 1/2 tbsp of salt and leave to soak for about an hour. Drain just before cooking.
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Season the chicken thighs with sea salt on both sides and set them aside.
Heat a large ovenproof casserole or deep pan over medium–high heat. Add a drizzle of oil and swirl it around the base. Drop in 1 tablespoon of butter and let it melt, then tilt the pan so it coats the bottom.
Lay the chicken thighs skin side down and cook for 5–7 minutes until the skin is golden. Turn and brown the other side. Lift the chicken onto a clean plate and set aside.
Add the sliced onion and the remaining butter to the pan. Cook gently, stirring now and then, until the onions soften and caramelise. Take the pan off the heat.
Add the soaked rice, broad beans and dill to the caramelised onions and stir to combine.
Stir the saffron threads into the hot broth, then pour it over the rice mixture.
Arrange the chicken thighs on top, skin side up. Cover with the lid and place the dish in the preheated oven. Bake for about 1 hour, or until the liquid has been absorbed, the rice is tender, and the chicken is cooked through.
Serve hot, topped with plain yoghurt and a fresh salad.
