Passport & Plate - Chakhokhbili
Georgia | Friday, March 6, 2015 | 3 photos
Ingredients
Recipe serves 4-6.
For the chicken stew:
8 boneless and skinless Chicken Thighs
1 large onion, (cut into half moons)
8 large ripe tomatoes, (roughly chopped)
1 sweet long pepper, (roughly chopped)
2 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
1 medium spiced chili (finely chopped)
4 bay leaves
2 heaped teaspoons paprika (not smoked)
1 heaped teaspoon aleppo chili flakes (regular chili flakes will do nicely)
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
small bunch of fresh tarragon (Dried tarragon is fine)
small bunch of fresh parsley (finely chopped)
small bunch of fresh coriander (finely chopped)
small bunch of fresh dill (finely chopped)
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 lemon
For the mint and sumac yogurt:
500ml of full fat greek yogurt
2 heaped teaspoons of dried mint
2 head teaspoons of sumac
drizzle of good olive oil
How to prepare this recipeChicken Stew:
1. Heat a casserole pan with a tablespoon of olive oil. When hot, add the chicken thighs and allow to brown for 10-15 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
2. Cut your onion into half moons and add into the pan once the chicken thighs begin to brown. Stir regularly for 5 minutes allowing the onions to soften and become translucent.
3. Add the garlic, paprika, bay leaves, fresh chili, chili flakes and the roughly chopped tomatoes to the pan. Stir for 5 minutes to allow spices to cook.
4. Add the white wine vinegar, along with a generous pinch of salt and pepper.
5. Add some boiling water - enough to just cover the chicken.
6. Place the lid on the pan and leave to cook on a low heat for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. After 1 hour take the lid off for the remaining 1 hour, to allow the stew to reduce.
7. Finely chop your tarragon, dill, coriander and parsley. Once the stew is ready add all of the herbs to the stew. A squeeze of lemon juice and stir thoroughly.
8. The stew is ready to serve!
NOTE: This dish does not work without a generous bunch of fresh parsley and coriander! Dried tarragon is an ok substitute.
Sumac and mint yogurt:
1. Place 500ml of the greek yogurt in a bowl with a little olive oil, and stir.
2. Add a generous pinch of dried mint and sumac, stirring again.
3. Finnish with a sprinkling of more dried mint and sumac, and a drizzle of olive oil
The story behind this recipeThe story behind this recipe
‘Would you like to come back to my house for some real authentic Georgian food? My mum is cooking’ – asks my friend, on a bitterly cold December afternoon in London. As an almost fanatical London foodie, I leapt at the chance of some homemade food, cooked by a friend from a country I knew little about. Having lots of friends from all over the globe means being exposed to a variety of cuisines. Admittedly, I had little knowledge of what Georgian cuisine entailed. But the dish my friend made – a chicken herb and spice stew called Chakhokhbili, ignited my taste buds! Still cold to the bone by time the stew was ready, this dish gave me a big warm hug inside.
Ever since the unique experience of eating good homemade Georgian food, I have made this dish a number of times for family and friends. Over the Christmas holiday I cooked the stew for my family that instantly became the talking point over the table. ‘Where is Georgia?’ ‘What do they eat there?’ Food can powerfully bring people together – learning the culinary history of a dish and a cuisine, that they otherwise might not have known about. My grandmother, from a working class background in Northern England, has been exposed to very few cuisines outside of the UK. Yet after her first mouth full she turned to me and yelped ‘oh this is beautiful’, followed by ‘where did you say this comes from? Georgia? Where on earth is that?’
This recipe combines comfort food with a depth of flavour, spice and freshness. There is something universally comforting about a good chicken stew. Everyone loves it, even if they don’t know where Georgia is.
This dish is full of happiness, identity and soul, and is more than just an ordinary stew!
