Georgian-Style Saffron Rice with Shrimp

About This Recipe

Rice pilaf, or plovi, appears across Georgian regional cooking, often enriched with dried fruit, saffron or bright herbs depending on the area. This version leans coastal, pairing a saffron-tinted pilaf with shrimp — a nod to the seafood traditions of Georgia's Black Sea region around Batumi, where fish and shellfish are far more common than in the mountainous interior. The technique that matters most here is toasting the rice in butter before any liquid goes in, which coats each grain and keeps the pilaf from turning gummy. Saffron steeped briefly in warm stock, rather than dropped in dry, releases its color and aroma much more evenly through the dish. Shrimp cook fast, so they're added only in the final few minutes to avoid turning rubbery — a common pilaf mistake. Finished with a shower of parsley and a squeeze of lemon, this makes a bright, fragrant one-pot dinner that still feels distinctly Georgian in its use of garlic and butter as the backbone of flavor.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 500 gshrimp(peeled and deveined)
• 3 tbspunsalted butter
• 1onion(finely diced)
• 5 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 1.5 cupslong-grain rice(rinsed)
• 0.25 tspsaffron threads
• 3 cupswarm chicken or seafood stock
• 1 tspfine sea salt
• 0.5 tspblack pepper
• 1lemon(zested and cut into wedges)
• 0.33 cupparsley(chopped)

Instructions

1. 1

   Bloom the saffron

   Steep saffron threads in 0.25 cup of the warm stock for 10 minutes so the color and aroma fully release.

2. 2

   Sauté the aromatics

   Melt butter in a heavy pot over medium heat. Cook onion 5 minutes until soft, then add garlic and cook 1 minute more.

3. 3

   Toast the rice

   Add rice and stir constantly for 2 minutes until the grains turn slightly translucent at the edges and smell toasted.

   This step is what keeps the pilaf's grains separate rather than sticky.

4. 4

   Simmer the pilaf

   Pour in the remaining stock plus the saffron stock, add salt and pepper, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low 15 minutes without lifting the lid.

5. 5

   Add the shrimp

   Uncover, lay shrimp over the top of the rice, re-cover, and cook 5-6 minutes more until the shrimp turn pink and opaque and the rice is fully tender.

6. 6

   Rest and serve

   Remove from heat, let sit covered 5 minutes, then fluff gently with a fork. Finish with lemon zest, parsley, and lemon wedges on the side.

Variations

• •

  Swap shrimp for firm white fish chunks, added at the same stage, for a milder pilaf.

• •

  Add a handful of raisins or dried barberries with the rice for a sweeter, more traditional Georgian plovi.

• •

  Stir in a spoonful of adjika (Georgian chili paste) at the end for heat, if you like a spicier finish.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 2 days in an airtight container. Reheat gently with a splash of water or stock, covered, over low heat to keep the shrimp from turning rubbery.

Frequently Asked Questions