Georgian Chicken Satsivi

This is my recreation of a dish that John and I ate in a fabulous Georgian restaurant in Istanbul. It's really delicious, if a bit of work.

2-3 lbs skinless boneless chicken breast
flour for dredging
salt and freshly ground pepper
olive oil

5 large onions, finely chopped
6-8 cups chicken broth
2/3 lb walnuts
3 cloves garlic, cut into pieces
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground clove
1 teaspoon saffron
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
3 tablespoon fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon ground fenugreek
red pepper flakes to taste

Use a mallet to pound chicken breasts to uniform thickness (1/4 to ½ inches thick). Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper and lightly dredge in flour.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Add chicken and brown on both sides, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove chicken to a plate and cover with foil. Once cool, cut into pieces (don’t worry if interior is still a bit undercooked as it will cook through later.)

In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium low heat. Add onions and cook until they begin to soften, stirring frequently to avoid burning. Gradually add approximately 1-2 cups chicken broth to the onions until they form a stew and get very soft and brown, stirring frequently (approximately 20-30 minutes).

While the onions are cooking, pulse walnuts, garlic, and vinegar in a food processor until nuts are finely chopped and the mixture is well blended & sticky. Remove to a large saucepan and add 4 cups chicken broth, cinnamon, cloves, saffron, coriander, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer over a low flame.

When the onions are well stewed, add the walnut mixture to them and simmer for another 15 minutes. If mixture is still too thick, add more chicken broth until it resembles a thick soup.

Crush the fresh cilantro in a mortar together with some salt, squeeze the juice out of it and add it together with fenugreek to the walnut mixture. If desired, add red hot pepper flakes to taste. Add chicken pieces and simmer for another 5 minutes or until heated through.

Posted by vanessa at 1