Chakhokhbili

Ingredients

• 2⅔ lbchickenwhole chicken or parts (legs, thighs), cut into serving pieces
• 14⅛ ozonionsliced into thin half-rings or diced
• 1½ lbtomatoesripe, peeled and crushed or diced; canned tomatoes as substitute
• 4 clovesgarlicfinely chopped or pounded, usually added at the end
• 1⅓ ozbuttersometimes clarified butter; often combined with vegetable oil
• 2 tbspvegetable oilrefined, sometimes olive oil
• 1 tbsptomato pastebriefly fried along, deepens the sauce
• 1 bunchcilantrogenerous amount, finely chopped, stirred in at the end
• 1 bunchbasilfresh, often red/purple basil; sometimes dried
• 1 bunchparsleyfinely chopped
• 1chili pepperfresh in rings or ground/as flakes
• 1 tspkhmeli suneliGeorgian spice blend
• 1 tspblue fenugreektypical Georgian spice
• 1 tspCoriandersometimes seeds toasted and ground
• ½ tspground marigoldadds colour and aroma (optional)
• 1bell peppercut into strips or cubes (optional)
• 1 tspsugarbalances the acidity of the tomatoes (optional)
• 2bay leafsimmered along, removed before serving (optional)
• 1 tspAjikaspicy seasoning paste (optional)
• ¾ cuphot chicken broth or boiling wateronly if the liquid reduces too much; hot water as substitute (optional)
• ½ cupRed winepoured in during braising (optional)
• saltto taste
• black pepperfreshly ground, to taste

Method

1. Cut the chicken into serving pieces, season all over with salt and black pepper and set aside briefly.
2. Heat the butter and vegetable oil in a heavy pot and brown the chicken pieces all over on fairly high heat, then lift them out and keep them warm.
3. Slice the onions into thin half-rings or dice them and cook them in the remaining fat over medium heat until soft and golden, about 10 minutes.
4. Score the tomatoes with a cross, pour boiling water over them, slip off the skins and crush or dice them — you want them to stay noticeable as small pieces. Fry the tomato paste briefly with the onions, then add the tomatoes and let them cook down for a few minutes.
5. Return the chicken and any juices to the pot and stir in the khmeli suneli, blue fenugreek and ground coriander, plus Imeretian saffron, bay leaves, red bell pepper, adjika or a splash of dry red wine if you like.
6. Cover and braise over low heat for about 40 minutes, until the meat is very tender and the sauce has thickened; if it gets too dry, add a little chicken broth or hot water.
7. Stir in the garlic, the hot chili pepper and plenty of chopped cilantro, basil and parsley, and let it all sit on the heat for just two or three minutes.
8. Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar if needed, fish out the bay leaves and let the pot rest, covered, for 10 minutes.
9. Serve very hot, scattered with fresh herbs, with lavash or bread alongside.

Tips and variations

The classic move is to brown the chicken with no added fat at all, dry in the pan in its own fat — worth trying at least once. You can also finish the stew covered in the oven at 180 °C for 20–30 minutes, or very slowly at 140 °C for around 2.5 hours with broth poured in. Canned chopped or puréed tomatoes stand in fine for fresh ones, and if you like you can season with satsebeli or tkemali, add crumbled walnuts, or stir beaten eggs into the sauce at the end. Tarragon, mint and dill work as extra herbs, and rabbit can take the place of chicken. Serve it hot, with fresh lavash for mopping up the sauce, or with rice, buckwheat or mashed potatoes.