Katmis Satsivi

Ingredients

• 3⅓ lbChickenwhole, oven-ready; alternatively chicken pieces or breast fillet
• 8½ cupswaterfor poaching the chicken
• 14⅛ ozOnionone half halved for the stock, the rest finely diced for the sauce
• 2bay leaffor the stock
• 10Peppercornsfor the stock
• 2⅛ cupsChicken brothtaken from the poaching liquid and strained, added warm to the nut paste
• 10½ ozwalnutsground very finely, base of the sauce
• 6 clovesgarlicground together with the walnuts
• 2 tbspvegetable oilfor sweating the onions
• 2 tbspWhite wine vinegarfor the acidity of the sauce
• 2 tspground coriander
• 1 tspblue fenugreekutskho suneli
• 1 tspground marigoldImeretian saffron, may be replaced with sweet paprika
• ½ tspcinnamonuse sparingly
• ½ tspclovesuse sparingly
• ½ tspChiliflakes, cayenne or a dried pod
• 1 tspTurmericfor colour where no marigold is used (optional)
• 1 bunchcilantropart into the sauce, the rest for sprinkling; flat-leaf parsley as substitute
• 3½ ozpomegranatefor garnish
• 2egg yolkto bind the sauce, tempered before stirring in (optional)
• 1 tbspPomegranate syrupfor fruity acidity in the sauce (optional)
• saltfor stock and sauce
• black pepperground, to taste

Method

1. Poach the chicken gentlyPut the chicken in a pot with the water, the halved onion, bay leaves, peppercorns and salt. Bring to a boil and skim off the foam carefully, then let it simmer gently for 40 to 60 minutes, until the meat is cooked through.
2. Strain and reserve the brothLift out the chicken and let it cool. Strain the broth and set about 500 ml of it aside, keeping it warm.
3. Strip and shred the meatPull off the skin, take out the bones and tear or carve the meat into bite-sized pieces.
4. Make the walnut pasteGrind the walnuts very finely — in a meat grinder or food processor — then work them with the garlic, part of the cilantro, ground coriander, blue fenugreek, ground marigold, cinnamon, cloves and chili into an oily paste. If you have no marigold, add turmeric for colour.
5. Sweat the onionsFinely dice the remaining onions and sweat them in the vegetable oil over medium heat until soft, without letting them take on any colour.
6. Build the sauce with brothCombine the nut paste with the onions and stir in the warm broth a ladleful at a time, until you have a smooth, pourable sauce. Warm it through over low heat, stirring, or just let it stand briefly — it must not boil. For a more bound sauce, temper the egg yolks with a little of the warm sauce and fold them through without letting it boil.
7. Season the sauce boldlyStir in the white wine vinegar and salt and season the sauce boldly, adding black pepper to taste. It should taste clearly of garlic, acidity and spice, since it will seem milder once cold.
8. Coat the chicken and chillAdd the chicken pieces and turn them until they are completely coated. Let everything cool to room temperature, then chill for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight — the sauce thickens as it rests and the walnut oil comes to the surface.
9. Garnish and serveServe cold or at room temperature, scattered with the remaining cilantro and the pomegranate seeds. Put mchadi, flatbread or rice on the table alongside.

Tips and variations

Toasting the walnuts dry before grinding gives the sauce more depth; if you press the nut paste through a cloth, you can drizzle the walnut oil you collect over the dish at the end. A tablespoon of pomegranate syrup brings fruity acidity to the sauce, a spoonful of tahini makes it creamier, and you can brown the cooked chicken pieces briefly in oil before saucing them. Without the Georgian spices, work with turmeric and cumin, or tarragon in place of blue fenugreek and marigold. In a hurry, cook chicken breast fillets straight in the walnut sauce and serve it warm with rice — but classic satsivi comes to the table cold, with pomegranate seeds and bread for mopping up.