EMIL'S LAMB PLOV With chestnuts, apricots and watercress

❚ 300 g (1 1/2 cups) basmati rice, rinsed

❚ 500 mL (2 cups) vegetable stock

❚ 1/2 tsp saffron threads soaked in 3 tbsp of warm water

❚ 3 tbsp olive oil

❚ 1 large onion, finely diced

❚ 1/2 tsp fine salt

❚ 2 tsp ground cumin

❚ 90 g (1/2 cup) unsulphured dried apricots, halved (if these are hard, plump them up by soaking them in boiling water when you begin the recipe)

❚ 180 g (1 cup) cooked and peeled whole chestnuts

❚ Knob of butter

❚ 250 g (9 oz) lamb leg, diced into 2–3 cm (1 in) cubes

❚ A couple of handfuls of watercress

❚ Freshly ground black pepper

1. Put the rice into a large saucepan, for which you have a lid. Pour in the stock and the stock-infused water (not the threads) and bring to a boil. Cover with the lid and reduce the heat, simmering for 6 minutes.

2. Remove the saucepan from the heat, take the lid off and, using the handle of a wooden spoon, make several holes in the rice to allow steam to escape. Then put the lid back on and allow it to steam for a further 10-15 minutes.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium-low heat and add the onion. After 5 minutes, add the salt and cook for a further 20 minutes until tender. Once golden, add the remaining tablespoon of oil and stir in the cumin, apricots and the chestnuts, gently crumbling them into rough halves with the wooden spoon as you stir. Next, add the butter and then the lamb and cook for about 12 minutes until browned and the juices have been absorbed.

4. To plate up, spoon the rice into a disc shape, then lay the lamb, chestnuts and apricots in a wide strip across the centre. Season with black pepper and arrange the watercress around the edges.

Serves: 2 generously