The Golden Threads Of Home
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In May, I had the delight of harvesting my very first, and admittedly tiny, crop of saffron. I am still bathing in the joy of having grown something so special myself, on my own land, thousands of kilometres away from where I first came to know its taste and extraordinary fragrance. Warm, floral and earthy at the same time, it is delicate yet potent and almost impossible to describe, or forget.
During the short flowering season, which lasts only a few weeks, new crocuses appear each morning and need to be picked before the flowers fully open, and while the morning dew still hasn’t had a chance to dry. The three tiny scarlet stigmas are then carefully plucked from each flower before the day is over.
And after all that, you still have to wait.
Freshly picked saffron has very little of the aroma and flavour we associate with the spice. The stigmas need to be dried and then left to cure for at least a month. It is with time that their fragrance intensifies and the distinct saffron aroma develops.
While my adorably humble harvest of saffron sat hidden away in the pantry curing, I was dreaming about all the dishes I would cook with it. After a full year of waiting in anticipation, and on occasion (or a few occasions) wondering whether the saffron would even sprout, I wanted the first dish I made with it to be something special.
There were plenty of possibilities, but truth be told, there was only ever going to be one.
Shah Plov!
Dotted with jewels of dried fruit and warm spices, Shah Plov is one of the gems of Azerbaijani cuisine. Encased in a buttery golden crust, hidden within it are sweet and tart dried fruits, and fragrant rice delicately stained the colour of the sun and perfumed with saffron.
Unlike traditional Shah Plov, which is wrapped in lavash (flatbread), I wrap mine in sheets of filo pastry. Brushed generously with butter, the filo layers bakes into a beautiful golden crust and when you cut onto it, shatters into the most divine crunch.
There are so many variations of plov that I think it would be nearly impossible to come up with anything truly original. Even if I tried, there is probably an ancient text somewhere describing the exact same combination! But originality isn't really what I'm after. I love traditions and try to stay true to them as much as circumstances allow.
I have never actually eaten Shah Plov with pumpkin, but I certainly ate plenty of ordinary plov with pumpkin growing up, as it was one of my mama’s favourites. Back then, I would turn up my nose the moment I heard the word pumpkin, but these days, I absolutely love it!
I think many of us can relate to this. Somehow, the foods we were least fond of as children have a funny way of finding us again later in life, and sometimes becoming the ones we love the most.
I have become especially fond of pumpkin since I started growing it myself. I am not sure if it is the “homegrown” effect or what, but somehow it just tastes so much better.
How to Make Saffron Infused Water
You can use saffron threads whole, but grinding them helps release more of their beautiful colour and aroma. I grind some of mine but leave the rest whole purely for the theatrics of it. After all, we eat with our eyes first, and those little threads are far too pretty to hide!
Place ½ teaspoon of saffron in a small mortar with a few grains of salt or sugar and grind with a pestle until you have a fine powder. Transfer to a clean bowl or jar, add another ½ teaspoon of whole saffron threads and pour over ½ cup of hot water and stir. Cover and leave to steep for at least 20 minutes. You will end up with a beautifully fragrant, deep orange liquid.
I mostly use this saffron infusion to tint and perfume rice, but it is also delicious in puddings and dressings. Any leftover saffron water can be kept in a clean jar in the fridge for up to a week, although its beautiful aroma will gradually fade.
Shah Plov with Pumpkin Barberries and Dried Apricot
It is such a lovely dish for a special occasion. There might be a few extra steps, but none of them are particularly difficult. And once you turn the Shah Plov out onto a beautiful tray, it does look rather spectacular. Especially when you make that first cut through the crisp golden crust and reveal what is hidden inside.
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
For the plov
3 cups good-quality aged basmati rice
1 tbsp + 1 tsp salt, divided
1 tsp saffron threads
½ cup hot water
900 g pumpkin, cut into bite-sized cubes
1½ tbsp olive oil
100 g dried apricots
60 g dried barberries
1 large brown onion, thinly sliced
4–5 cardamom pods
90 g butter
For the filo crust
8 sheets filo pastry
90 g butter, melted
Method
Prepare the rice. Rinse the rice in a fine sieve under cold running water until the water runs clear. Transfer to a large bowl and cover with 3–4 litres of cold water. Add ½ tbsp of salt, stir to dissolve and leave to soak on the bench for at least 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Roast the pumpkin. Place the diced pumpkin on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with 1tsp of salt and toss well to coat. Spread in a single layer and roast for 20–25 minutes, or until golden and just tender. Set aside to cool.
Make the saffron infusion. Grind ½ teaspoon of saffron threads with a few grains of salt until finely powdered.Add another ½ teaspoon of whole saffron threads and pour over ½ cup hot water and stir to combine. Move to a clean bowl, cover and leave to steep for at least 20 minutes.
Soak dried fruits. Place the dried apricots and barberries in separate small bowls and cover with hot water. Leave to soak for at least 15 minutes, then drain and rinse.
Parboil the rice. Fill a large pot, about 5 litres in capacity with water, add ½ tbsp of salt and bring to a rolling boil. While the water is coming to the boil, drain the soaked rice and give it one final gentle rinse. Take care at this stage, as the soaked grains can become brittle and break easily.
Add the rice to the boiling water and cook for 3–5 minutes, or until the grains are slightly translucent but still firm in the centre, much like al dente pasta. The rice should still be slightly undercooked. Drain immediately and gently spread over a large tray, allowing the steam to escape so the residual heat doesn't continue to cook the rice. Set aside.
Prepare the filling. Melt 90 g butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and cook until soft and lightly caramelised. Add the cardamom pods, soaked apricots and barberries and cook, stirring, for another minute. Remove from the heat.
Melt the remaining 90 g butter in a small bowl. Brush the base and sides of a 4 Litre ovenproof pot generously with some of the melted butter.
Line the pot. Arrange the filo sheets over the base and sides of the pot, allowing plenty of pastry to overhang the rim so it can later be folded over the top. Brush each sheet generously with melted butter as you go.
Assemble the plov. Spread one quarter of the rice over the base of the lined pot. Top with half of the roasted pumpkin and half of the onion and dried-fruit mixture. Add another quarter of the rice, followed by the remaining pumpkin and dried-fruit mixture. Finish with the remaining rice.
Drizzle all of the saffron infusion evenly over the rice. Fold the overhanging filo pastry over the top to completely enclose the plov, then brush generously with the remaining melted butter.
Cover the pot with a lid and bake for 1 hour. Remove the lid and bake for a further 20–30 minutes, or until the filo is deeply golden and beautifully crisp.
Remove from the oven. Place a round chopping board over the pot and carefully invert the Shah Plov onto the board. I find this much safer and easier than trying to turn it directly onto a serving dish. Gently slide it from the board onto your serving platter.
Serve immediately, while the filo is still beautifully crisp.
In the next newsletter , we continue our Season of Firsts with something sweet. Our very first pear harvest and a simple pear and ricotta cake that is delightful and pearfect in every way.
