Welcome to a culinary adventure where East meets West! This Chicken and Shrimp Plov is a delightful fusion dish, blending the hearty traditions of Central Asian plov with the vibrant seaside flavors of Spanish paella. It’s a spectacular one-pot meal that’s surprisingly easy to whip up, making it perfect for a weeknight surprise or a relaxed weekend dinner. The combination of tender chicken, succulent shrimp, and fragrant rice, all infused with aromatic spices, creates a symphony of flavors that will transport you. Get ready to impress your family and friends with this unique and incredibly satisfying dish!
Plov with chicken and shrimp
Ingredients for Chicken and Shrimp Plov
- 400 g boneless chicken meat
- 30 g chicken fat
- 1 onion
- 1 carrot
- 2-3 celery stalks
- 1 cup long-grain white rice
- 1 cup cold water
- 100 g shell-on shrimp
- 5-6 cloves of garlic
- bay leaf, sweet ground paprika, zira (cumin seeds), coriander seeds, chili pepper
How to Cook Chicken and Shrimp Plov
In a Dutch oven, melt the chicken fat; you can substitute it with vegetable oil for frying. Chicken fat, or schmaltz as it’s often called, is very easy to render at home. Trim the skin and fat from the chicken, chop it finely, place it in a heavy-bottomed skillet, and render on low heat until you get shkvarki (crispy cracklings). Strain the rendered fat through a sieve; this is a natural cooking fat without additives or impurities that a good home cook would never throw away.
Melting the chicken fat
Add a teaspoon each of zira (cumin seeds) and coriander seeds. Fry for a few minutes until the spices start to release their aroma.
Frying cumin and coriander seeds in fat
Cut the chicken for the plov (a traditional rice pilaf dish) into large pieces. I used thighs for this plov, as the meat from these parts is juicier compared to the breast.
Place the chicken pieces in the heated Dutch oven and fry until golden brown on all sides.
Frying the chopped chicken
To the meat, add a finely chopped onion, a carrot diced into small cubes, a minced chili pepper, and celery stalks, chopped the same way as the carrot. Sauté the vegetables with the meat for a few minutes.
Adding onion, carrot, and chili pepper
Sprinkle in the sweet ground paprika and pour in a cup of cold water. If you like your plov spicy, add half a teaspoon of ground red pepper along with the paprika.
Adding paprika and cold water
Wash the long-grain rice in several changes of water to remove the starch, drain it in a sieve, and add it to the other ingredients.
Adding rinsed long-grain rice
Spread the rice evenly to completely cover the meat and vegetables. On top, place the frozen shrimp, a few unpeeled garlic cloves, and 2-3 bay leaves. Add salt to taste.
Leveling the rice, adding shrimp, garlic, and bay leaf on top
Bring to a boil, then cover the Dutch oven tightly, reduce the heat to the minimum, and cook for 20 minutes. Let the finished plov rest for another 10-15 minutes in the covered Dutch oven, wrapped in a towel, to allow the rice to steam properly.
Bringing to a boil, covering, and cooking on low heat
Serve the chicken and shrimp plov in a deep plate, sprinkle with green onions, and add a few shrimp and the unpeeled garlic cloves to each portion. Garlic cooked this way becomes very soft, like a cream, and can be spread on a piece of bread.
Plov with chicken and shrimp
And there you have it – a beautiful and aromatic Chicken and Shrimp Plov ready to be enjoyed! We hope you loved the journey of creating this unique dish. The beauty of plov is in its communal nature, so gather your loved ones around the table and share this wonderful meal. Don't forget the magic of the slow-cooked garlic cloves; their creamy texture is a true delicacy. For a fresh contrast, serve with a simple cucumber and tomato salad. Feel free to experiment with other seafood like mussels or calamari to make it your own. Happy cooking!
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