Tkemali Chicken a Georgian Dish

cook-and-chicken
 

1 medium chicken 30 gram butter 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 teaspoon salt

Slice down the breast of the chicken. Rub the chicken with salt and pepper liberally, turn over and flatten it. Put the chicken into a frying pan together with the butter. Press the chicken with the cover (of less size than that of the pan) and place something heavy on the cover to flatten the chicken well. Fry the chicken over medium high heat for 15-20 minutes, turn and fry for 20 minutes, until browned. Serve immediately with fried chips and tkemali sauce.

Tkemali is a very popular Georgian sauce made of ripe tart plums, seasoned with fresh seeds of coriander, field mint and dill, garlic, red hot pepper and salt.

The recipe below is a basic Tkemali sauce recipe: (Interesting in that yesterday I made something very similar. I was going to use dried prunes and walnuts, ended up using lemon juice and a package of cranberries. Used coriander, garlic, cumin, paprika and cilantro. It made a great Stew. 1/2 tsp. salt and pepper.
Another great Russian Dish is beef Svivkoa.

Tkemali Sauce: Plum Sauce
I recommend Santa Rosa Plums. But, whatever is available. Tkemali Sauce in Georgia is like Chili Sauce in Mexico. Always there and available for anything.

This will make 1 pint:

1 1/2 lbs. plums (not too sweet or ripe)
1/4 cup of water
3/4 teaspoon whole coriander seed
1 teaspoon of fennel seed
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
1 teaspoon cayenne powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh mint
1/3 cup finely minced fresh cilantro (khinze)

Cut the plums in half and remove pits. Place is saucepan covering with water and bring to boil. Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes, or until soft. Pound in a mortar with a pestle or use an empty bottle coriander seed, fennel seed, garlic, cayenne and salt to make a fine paste. When the plums are soft, put them through a food mill and return them to a clean pan. Bring to boil and cook over medium heat, stirring, for 3 minutes. Stir in the ground spices and continue cooking until the mixture thickens slightly, another 5 minutes or so. Stir in the minced mint and cilantro and remove from the heat. Pour into a jar while still hot. Either cool to room temperature and keep in refrigerator, or seal the jar for longer storage.

This is normally available in Georgian household and all one has to do is take it out of the refrigerator.
This sauce can also be used with Kidney Beans: Beans with Plum Sauce (Lobio Tkemali)

Soak beans overnight, rinse and drain. Cook beans with one clove of garlic (halved), 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes, bay leaf, and 2 Tbsp. vinegar until tender, about 1 hour. Drain. While beans are warm, stir in salt, remaining vinegar, one clove of garlic (minced), jam, cilantro and pepper. Serve at room temperature.

My remembered sauce was 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, 2 cloves of garlic,1/2 tsp salt,1 bay leaf,1/4 c red wine vinegar,1/3 c plum jam,2 tsp cilantro – minced, fresh ground black pepper

Another version of this great sauce!
24 ea Sour prunes pitted*
1 c Cider vinegar*
2 tbs. Fresh lemon juice
2 c Water
1 ea Garlic clove peeled
3 tbs. Cilantro freshly chopped
1/2 tsp. Salt
3/4 tsp. Red pepper flakes

NOTE

Dried prunes may be used but must be soaked over night in the vinegar. Bring the water to a boil, add the prunes, remove from heat and allow to stand for 10 minutes. Bring back to a boil over High heat and cook for 10 minutes or until tender. Put prunes into a sieve. Save the liquid. Combine prunes, garlic, & cilantro in a blender. Pour in 1/4 cup of the liquid and blend on high speed, add the remaining liquid slowly until all is used. Transfer the blended mixture into a sauce pan and add the salt & pepper. Bring to a boil on High, reduce heat to Simmer and add the lemon juice. Stir and simmer for 3 minutes. Pour over fish, poultry, or pork.

Old cooks never die … they just get batter.

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