Shah Plov

Rinse the rice several times until the water runs clear, then soak it in 2 L of warm salted water for 3 hours. Pour 60 ml of hot water over the saffron and let it infuse for 10 minutes.

Bring the remaining water to a boil in a large pot, add some of the salt, then add the drained rice and cook for 6–8 minutes: the grains should be soft on the outside but still firm in the center. Drain the rice in a colander.

Melt half of the butter in a heavy-bottomed skillet. Add the onion and fry until golden. Add the lamb, season with salt and black pepper, and sear until browned.

Add the dried apricots, raisins, dried plums and cooked chestnuts to the lamb. Stir and simmer over low heat for 10–15 minutes, until the dried fruit softens and the flavors combine.

Grease the bottom and sides of a heavy, oven-safe pot with some of the butter. Brush the lavash with butter and line the pot with it, overlapping the sheets and letting the edges hang over the rim.

Spread a third of the rice in the pot, drizzle with saffron infusion, then add half of the lamb with the dried fruit and chestnuts. Repeat the layers, finishing with rice, and drizzle with the remaining saffron infusion and butter.

Fold the overhanging lavash over the rice to cover it, brush the top with the remaining butter, cover with a lid, and bake at 200°C for about 3 hours, until the lavash turns golden and the rice is fully steamed through.

Let the shah plov rest, covered, for 15 minutes, then carefully invert it onto a large platter and serve warm.