Shkmeruli

Ingredients

• 1chickenabout 1.2–1.5 kg, butterflied along the breast or cut into pieces
• 8 clovesgarlicfinely grated, pressed or chopped; amount varies widely
• 1⅔ cupscream20–35% fat; milk as an alternative
• 1⅔ cupsmilkinstead of cream, classic version (optional)
• 3 tbspvegetable oilfor searing under a weight
• 1⅓ ozbutterfor frying or for the sauce (optional)
• saltto taste
• black pepperfreshly ground
• chili pepper (optional)
• 1 tspCoriander (optional)
• 1 tspblue fenugreek (optional)
• 1 tspkhmeli suneliGeorgian spice blend (optional)
• 1 ozcilantrochopped, in the sauce or as garnish
• ⅔ ozparsleychopped (optional)
• ⅔ ozpomegranate arilsfor garnish (optional)
• ⅛ ozSvan saltspiced salt, rubbed on the inside (optional)
• ½ cupwaterto loosen the sauce or for the garlic paste (optional)

Method

1. Cut the chicken lengthwise along the breast, open it out flat and press it down; trim away excess fat and the wing tips, then rinse the bird and pat it thoroughly dry. If you like, pound it flatter still, or cut it into pieces.
2. Rub the chicken inside and out with salt and black pepper, plus ground coriander, either blue fenugreek or khmeli suneli, and ground red pepper to taste; the inside can also be rubbed with Svan salt. Let it sit briefly to take on the seasoning if you have time.
3. Heat 4 tbsp vegetable oil in a large, heavy pan and lay the chicken in skin side down. Weigh it down with something heavy — this is the tabaka technique — and fry over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, until golden and crisp.
4. Turn the chicken, weigh it down again and fry the second side for another 5 to 7 minutes, until golden. Lift it out and let it rest for a moment.
5. For the sauce, grate, press or finely chop the garlic and sweat it in the butter and the fat left in the pan over gentle heat, just until fragrant and without letting it colour.
6. Pour in the cream (or milk), then season with salt, pepper and more spices to taste. Stir in about two thirds of the chopped cilantro along with the parsley and let the sauce reduce gently until it's silky.
7. Cut the chicken into serving pieces, settle them into the sauce and let everything simmer covered over low heat — or finish it in the oven at 180 to 375 °F for 10 to 15 minutes.
8. Serve in a hot clay ketsi, spoon plenty of sauce over the top and scatter with the reserved cilantro and pomegranate seeds. Bring flatbread, lavash or shoti to the table for mopping up.

Tips and variations

Whole milk is the classic alternative to cream, and smetana or a mix of the two works beautifully too; some cooks start the sauce with chicken stock, reduce it with the garlic, and only then add the cream. The oven route is the easier one: stir the raw garlic, herbs and spices straight into the cold cream, pour it over the fried chicken and bake, instead of reducing the sauce on the stove. Boneless chicken thigh is a good shortcut, as is roasting the bird in the oven or frying it in rendered chicken fat, and a marinade of wine vinegar, or of oil and spices, before frying is well worth it. Serve with elarji cornmeal porridge and a big pile of fresh greens, and pour a dry white Rkatsiteli.