Plov is the crown of the Azerbaijani table, cooked in more than two hundred versions for weddings, holidays and guests. Unlike pilafs elsewhere, the rice is cooked separately: parboiled, then steamed slowly with butter until every grain stands apart, partly colored with saffron, while the topping is made in its own pan. A layer of thin bread or potato at the bottom of the pot turns into a crisp, buttery crust called qazmaq, which is the part everyone pretends not to want. This version uses shirin qovurma, lamb fried with onions, chestnuts, dried apricots and raisins.

It is the meal that says Baku welcomes you, and one built for a crowd, which suits a city that has hosted a Grand Prix along its seafront and medieval walls since 2016. The rice steams quietly for most of an hour without needing you, rather like a driver on a long stint who knows exactly where the pit wall is.

The rice

Ingredients

• 3 cups (550 g) long grain basmati rice
• 3 tablespoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon (about 0.3 g) saffron threads
• 3 tablespoons boiling water
• 1/2 cup (115 g) ghee or unsalted butter, melted
• 1 large or 2 small lavash breads

Method

1. Put the rice in a large bowl, cover with cold water, swirl with your hand and pour off the cloudy water. Repeat 4 or 5 times. Cover with fresh cold water, stir in 1 tablespoon salt and soak for 30 minutes while you start the qovurma.
2. Crumble the saffron into the small cup, pour over the 3 tablespoons boiling water, cover with a saucer and leave to steep.
3. Bring 4 quarts (4 liters) of water to a rolling boil in the large pot with 2 tablespoons salt. Drain the rice and add it to the boiling water. Boil for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring gently once or twice. Drain in the colander and rinse briefly with lukewarm water.
4. Pour 3 tablespoons of the melted ghee into the heavy pot and swirl it over the base. Lay the lavash over the bottom, overlapping and tearing it to fit and letting it come a little way up the sides, or lay the potato slices in a single tight layer. Brush the bread or potato with 1 tablespoon more ghee.
5. Spoon the rice over the crust, building it into a loose mound. Poke 4 or 5 holes down through the rice to the base with the handle of a wooden spoon, so steam can rise. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of ghee over the top. Wrap the lid in the clean towel, tying the corners on top so they cannot touch the flame, and press it on tightly. Cook over medium heat for 8 minutes, then turn the heat to the lowest setting and steam for 45 minutes.
6. Take out 1 1/2 cups of rice, mix it gently in a bowl with the saffron water and the remaining ghee, and keep it warm for the top.

The sweet lamb qovurma

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb (680 g) boneless lamb shoulder or leg
• 3 tablespoons (45 g) ghee or butter
• 2 large yellow onions
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) water
• 1 cup (150 g) cooked peeled chestnuts
• 3/4 cup (120 g) dried apricots
• 1/2 cup (75 g) golden raisins

Method

1. Pat the lamb dry. Heat 2 tablespoons of the ghee in the skillet over medium high heat, add the lamb and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, turning, until browned on most sides.
2. Add the onions, salt, pepper and turmeric and cook for 5 minutes, stirring. Pour in the water, cover, lower the heat and simmer gently for 45 minutes, stirring now and then and adding a splash more water if it goes dry.
3. Rinse the apricots and raisins in warm water and drain. Add them to the pan with the chestnuts and the last tablespoon of ghee. Cook uncovered over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring gently.

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