There are loads of chicken meals in the Georgian kitchen, and all of them are delicious, but none of those are as distinctive as this recipe here. Imagine a dish combining lemon ethereal smell, herbal frost of a tarragon, milky aroma of a cream, taste of a roasted chicken and crystal essence of mushrooms. Clay-baked chicken and Chakapuli are absolute champions of the Georgian soups.
I have to admit, this recipe has been inspired by French Fricassee, but trust me, none of that you can't find in Georgia or is not a part of the Georgian kitchen.
2
2
Chicken thighs
50
50
ml.
boiled butter
100
100
gr.
Champignon or Portobello
30
30
gr.
Carrot
80
80
ml.
Cream
20
20
gr.
Onion
30
30
ml.
Sunflower or corn oil
1
1
gr.
Black pepper
5
5
gr.
Fresh tarragon – dried is also ok
40
40
ml.
Tsinandali white wines
Get a fatty chicken. Chicken fat aka schmaltz is one of the less respected fats in the world. Melting schmaltz gives the chicken a wonderful aroma.
So, after cleaning the chicken clean the thighs from bones; place the meat on the brazier lattice and roast from all sides. Place mushrooms around the chicken in order to get it coated into the delicious evaporating schmaltz. At the same time, put the pot into the embers in order to make it heat well.
cut onion and carrot into small cubes. Throw roasted chicken, mushrooms, onion and carrot altogether into the clay pot, pour some cream and white wine down, top it with a pinch of salt and pepper, cover the lead and cook for 25 minutes. Ember pot will serve not only as an utensil, but also as an ingredient, as the burnt clay gives its earthy aroma to the dish.
As soon as you are done with cooking remove the pot from embers, add some sliced tarragon in it, grate your lemon zest, stir well and smell it. The unreal aromas of the dish will literally shock you to amazement but keep calm and do not eat all of it until serving. Cover the lead instead in order to keep the aroma rich.
How To Serve
As white wine is one of the main ingredients of this dish you have to purchase at least two bottles of white dry Tsinandali. Otherwise it needs nothing else than perhaps a Georgian bakery Shoti bread on the side.
Click if you already have prepared