Elite life
Georgia (Georgian Recipes)
A guest invited to the Georgian table is first of all offered to eat the golden-brown khachapuri which is a thin pie filled with mildly salted cheese; then he is asked to try lobio (kidney bean) (ripened of fresh green beans) which nearly in every family is cooked according to its own recipes; stewed chicken in a garlic sauce; small river fish "tsotskhali" cooked when it is still still alive; sheat-fish in vinegar with finely chopped fennel; lori, a sort of ham; muzhuzhi, boiled and soaked in vinegar pig's legs; cheese "sulguni" roasted in butter, pickled aubergines and green tomatoes which are filled with the walnut paste seasoned with vinegar, pomegranate grains and aromatic herbs; the vegetable dish "pkhali" made of finely chopped beet leaves or of spinach mixed with the walnut paste, pomegranate grains and various spices. In East Georgia you will be offered wheaten bread baked on the walls of "tone", which is a large cylinder-like clay oven, resembling a jar, while in West Georgia you will be treated to hot maize scones (Mchadi) baked on clay frying-pans "ketsi".
Lovers of soups will be delighted with the fiery rice and mutton soup "kharcho", the tender chicken soup "chikhirtma" with eggs whipped in vinegar and the transparent light meat broth flavoured with garlic, parsley and fennel. Even the most experienced gourmand will not be able to resist the savoury chizhi-pizhi, pieces of liver and spleen roasted in butter and whipped eggs; crisp chicken "tabaka" served with the pungent sourish sauce "satsivi". The famous dishes include the melting-in-the-mouth sturgeon on a spit and sauce; the chicken sauce "chakhokhbili" in a hot tomato and dressing; the Kakhetian dish "chakapuli" made of young lamb in a slightly sourish juice of damson, herds and onion; roasted small sausages "kupati" stuffed with finely chopped pork, beef and mutton mixed with red pepper and barberries.
Everyone in Georgia is fond of "Khashi", a broth cooked from beef entrails (legs, stomach, udder, pieces of head, bones) and lavishly seasoned with garlic. There exists quite a just opinion that "the onion soup in Paris and the khashi soup in Tbilisi serve the same purpose. They are eaten by the same people-by hard workers to make themselves stronger and by revelers to cure a hangover". Remember E. Evtushenko's lines: "Everyone who saws, transports, builds, sweeps the neighbouring streets, makes shoes, digs ditches eats khashi in the morning". Admirers of Khinkali-a sort of strongly peppered mutton dumplings, a favourite dish with the mountain dwellers of Georgia-keep growing in number. Like everywhere in the Caucasus, mcvadi (shashlik) is very popular in Georgia. Depending on a season, it is made of pork, mutton or spits aubergines stuffed with fat of tail and tomatoes.
The splendour of Georgia cuisine is backed up by famous white and red dry wines, among which anyone choose wine to one's own taste: "Mukhuzani" with a pleasant bitter taste, golden cool "Tetra" light straw-coloured "Tsinandali" with a crystal sourish touch, dark amber-coloured slightly astrigent "Teliani", rubycoloured "Ojaleshi" with a mildly sweet, emerald-like sparkling "Manavi", garnet-red honey-tasting "Kindzmarauli", and dark ruby-coloured velvety "Khvanchkara", light-green "Gurjaani" dark golden fruity "Tibaani" and many others. If to Georgian wines you add best-brand cognacs, champagne, not to mention remarkable mineral waters and fruit drinks, you can fancy what pleasure Georgian cuisine will to you.
The Georgian table is conducted in a wise manner in accordance with the ancient ritual. The head of the table "tamada" is elected as proposed by the host. The tamada must be a man of humour with an ability for improvisation and a philosopher's wisdom. If there are many guests at the table he appoints assistants who in Georgian are called "tolumbashis". The tamada's toasts follow one another in a strict never violated order. The guest is obliged to listen attentively to each toast and appreciate the beauty of style and the purpot of the worlds said. If is not allowed to interrupt the tamada when he is saying the toats. The tamada's assistants and other guests may only add something to the toast or develop its ideas. If you wish to say a toast, you must by all means have the tamada's consent or else you will find yourself in an awkward position. This table ritual does not put restraints on the guests but maintains discipline at the table. The feast proceeds among jokes and is accompanied by a dance competition, table songs and music, quotations and aphorisms from the works of poets and writers.
Ingredients:
1 cup wild rice
2 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons pomegranate syrup
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cupwalnut
Cooking Instructions:
Cook wild rice according to package directions, substituting stock for water. Cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, gently dry-toast the walnuts in a skillet, keeping a close eye on them. This should take 10 or so minutes. Toss the cooled rice with oil, then syrup. Salt to taste. Garnish with toasted walnuts.
Ingredients:
The Dough
1 1/4 cups full fat yogurt
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
The Filling:
9 ounces buffalo mozzarella cheese
9 ounces cream cheese
1 egg
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
Salt, to taste
Butter, for frying
Cooking Instructions:
Make a smooth dough out of the dough ingredients. Use as much flour as needed to keep dough light without it sticking to your hands. Leave the dough to rest for 30 minutes. Prepare the filling. Grate the mozzarella and then mix with the cream cheese. Add the egg and butter and process into a smooth, glutinous mixture using either a hand mixer or a wooden spoon. Season with salt, if needed, and divide into 4 balls. Shape the dough into 4 balls also and roll these out to form 8 inch circles. Put the cheese filling balls into each dough circle and bring the edges of the dough circle up and over to seal. (Example.like an omelet or a calzone) Press firmly to seal. Carefully press the dough flat into a circular shape until each will fill a large skillet. Fry individually in hot butter, covered, before turning them and frying the other side, uncovered. Cut each flat loaf into 4 portions and serve hot.
Ingredients:
Filling:
1 3/4 lbs ground lamb
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
3 large onion, minced
1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
Dough:
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup lukewarm salt water
Cooking Instructions:
Knead together the ground meat, salt, pepper, onion, cilantro and about 7 tbsp lukewarm water. Prepare a smooth dough from the flour and the salted water. Roll it out thinly and cut out 6 inch circles using a plate. Put 1-2 tbsp of filling into the center of each circle. Gather up the edges of the dough to the center over the filling and pinch neatly together. Put the khinkali in a large pan with boiling, lightly salted water and simmer gently, gently agitating them with a wooden spoon now and again. When the khinkali float to the surface, continue to simmer for about 6 more minutes. Remove from the water with a wire skimmer, sprinkle black pepper over each and serve hot with cold beer.
Ingredients:
1/2 lb kidney bean, canned, drained & rinsed
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1/8 cup fresh cilantro, fresh and chopped
1/8 cup fresh parsley, fresh and chopped
1/8 cup fresh basil, fresh and chopped
1/8 cup fresh dill, fresh and chopped
1/8 cup fresh tarragon, fresh and chopped
Black pepper, freshly milled
Salt or Mrs. Dash seasoning mix, original
Cooking Instructions:
Warm the beans either by pan or microwave. Stir in all ingredients, adding salt and pepper to taste. Allow the beans to cool to room temperature before serving. Serve.
Ingredients:
Roast Chicken
3-3 1/2 lbs chicken or turkey
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon vegetable oil or olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper, freshly ground
Walnut Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons onion, finely chopped
2 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon flour
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon clove, ground
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
1/8 teaspoon saffron, ground
1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup shelled walnut, pulverized into a paste (about 3 oz)
Cooking Instructions:
Pat chicken dry inside and out with paper towels, then truss it securely with white kitchen cord. Mix the butter and oil together, then brush chicken with this mixture until thoroughly and completely coated. Preheat oven to 475°F. Place chicken on its side on a rack in a shallow baking pan just large enough to hold the chicken. Roast in the center of the oven for 10 minutes, then turn over onto other side, brush again with the butter-oil mixture, and roast for another 10 minutes. Turn bird onto its back, reduce temperature to 400F, baste with the butter-oil mix, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast for another 40 minutes (basting every 10 minutes with the butter-oil mixture and/or the juices in the pan). To test for doneness, pierce the thigh with a sharp knife, if the juice that trickles out is pink, roast for another 5-10 minutes. To make the walnut sauce: in a heavy 10-12" skillet, melt the butter over High heat, add the onions& garlic, lower heat to Medium, and, stirring occasionally, cook uncovered for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the onions are soft but not brown. Stir in the flour and mix into a paste, then pour in the chicken stock, bring to a boil over High heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens. Stir in the vinegar, cloves, salt, pepper, bay leaf, saffron, parsley,& walnuts. Lower heat and simmer uncovered for about 5-6 minutes, then taste for seasoning. Quarter the chicken, pour the sauce over the quarters, and serve.
Chanahi
Ingredients:
300 g lamb
300 g potatoes
50 g tomatoes
150 g eggplants
50 g fat
30 g onion
20 g parsley
2 ea garlic cloves
Pepper
Salt
Cooking Instructions:
Put cubed potatoes, finely chopped onion, lamb slices, top with
eggplants, fat, pepper and greens. Pour over tomato paste, dissolved in
broth with garlic. Add salt and spices to taste. Stew in a preheated
oven. Shortly before finishing add tomatoes.
Georgian Potato Soup
Ingredients:
6 c potatos diced 1/2"
1/2 c onions chopped small
1/4 c scallions chopped
1 c apple sauce
1/4 c apple juice
3 c chicken stock or 3 c vegetable stock
1 1/4 c heavy cream
1/2 c cottage cheese
1/3 c raisins
1 ea garlic clove minced
1/3 c dried apricots chopped
2 1/2 tb flour
1/4 ts cumin
2 ts dry mustard
1/2 ts white pepper
1 tb dried hot pepper flakes
2 ts salt
1 ts dill dried and crushed
1 tb parsley fresh and chopped
3 tb carrots julienned
Cooking Instructions:
Mix 1 cup of the cream, the cottage cheese, and the flour in mixing
bowl. Beat until smooth then blend in the remianing cream. This can be
done by hand, with a hand mixer, or in a blender. Set aside in
refrigerator. Mix all of the spices together and divide into 2 equal
portions. Take a large, heavy pot and place on HIGH heat for 3-4
minutes. Add the vegetables except for 2 cups of the diced potatos and 1
of the spice portions. Stir and cook over the High heat for 4-6 minutes
being sure to scrape the crusts that form on the bottom of the pot. Add
the apple juice and then the apple sauce. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes
then add the stock, the other spice portion. Cook while stirring for 12
minutes. Remove and either rice the mixture or puree it in a blander
until it is smooth. Return to the pot, add the 2 cups of diced potatos,
bring to a boil, reduce heat to Low, stir well, cover and cook for 15
minutes. Add more stock if more liquid is need. Blend in the cream
mixture and continue to cook stirring as you do for 3-4 minutes.
Georgian Roasted Chicken
Ingredients:
2 ts paprika
1 ts sage ground
1/2 ts dry mustard
1 ts black pepper
1 ts thyme ground
2 ea garlic cloves finely minced
1 tb onion finely minced
2 ts salt
1/2 ts red pepper flakes
4 tb ginger root thinly sliced
1/4 ts lemon rind finely grated
1 ea 7-8 lb roasting hen or capon
1/2 ea onion, chopped
2 ea carrot julienned
1 ea celery rib sliced
1/2 ea green bell pepper cored, seeded, and julienned
1 tb butter
1 ts lemon juice
Cooking Instructions:
Mix the spices together in a bowl and set aside. In the chest and bidy
cavities of the bird you will find some fatty deposits. Remove these and
set them aside. In a large skillet render the bird`s fat until approx. 1
tablespoon remains. Add the butter, 1/2 teaspoon of the spice mixture,
and the ginger. Saute for 2-3 minutes, remove form the pan, and drain
the ginger, and set aside. Seperate but DO NOT remove the skin from the
bird. Inside the skin place the cooled ginger mixture. Be sure to do all
sides of the bird with this mixture. Take the vegetables, mix them
together with the lemon juice and the remaining spice mixture and stuff
the 2 body cavities with them. Pre-heat the oven to 250 F place the bird
into a large roasting pan and roast for 4 1/2 - 5 hours uncovered.
Kaurma
Ingredients:
1 kg lamb
50 g fat
100 g tomatoes
10 g flour
15 g vinegar
1 ea garlic clove
Spices
400 g onion
Salt
Cooking Instructions:
Slice lamb into slices (about 25 g), sautee, then add finely chopped
onion, broth and stew, covered. Shortly before finishing, add tomatoes,
pepper, flour, vinegar, chopped greens, salt and boil for 7 minutes.
Then take off from heat, cover and leave for 30 minutes.Serve with
greens.
Georgian Spicy Beef Stew (Khalia)
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb beef chuck boneless cubed 1/2"
3 tb olive oil
3/4 c beef stock
3 ea onions, chopped fine
2 ts tamarind concentrate
2 1/2 tb tomato paste
1/2 ts paprika hungarian hot
1/4 ts fenugreek ground
3/4 ts coriander seeds, crushed
1 ts tarragon dried
Salt
1 1/2 ts black pepper freshly ground
3 ea garlic cloves minced fine
3 tb cilantro leaves chopped
1/4 c walnut pieces finely chopped
1 tb sugar or honey
Cooking Instructions:
Heat the oil over med-high heat in a large cast iron skillet. Add the
beef, onions, and garlic and cook while stirring for 12-15 minutes.
Combine the hot beef stock, with the tomato paste and the tamarind
concentrate in a bowl and alow to stand until all of the tamarinf
concentrate is disolved, approx. 8-10 minutes. Add this mixture to the
beef as well as all of the other ingredients, reduce heat to low, cover
and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Be sure to stir occassionaly. Add stock as
needed if the liquid reduces too much. Add the sugar and walnuts and
simmer for 15 more minutes.
Kupaty
Ingredients:
1 kg pork
100 g onion
Spices (cinnamon, cloves, thyme, pepper)
Salt
Hogcasing
Cooking Instructions:
Grind pork in a mincer, add chopped onion, cinnamon, cloves, thyme,
pepper, salt. Stuff mincemeat into hogcasing and make small semirings,
Fry on hot charcoals.
Red
Lobio
Ingredients:
200 g red beans
200 g onion
30 g cilantro
Salt
Pepper
Parsley
Cooking Instructions:
Soak beans for two hours. Cook in water until done, strain. Add lightly
fried chopped onion, cilantro, chopped parsley, salt and pepper. Stew on
low heat.
Stuffed Chicken
Ingredients:
1 kg chicken
100 g cornel
100 g rice
50 g onion
Salt
Butter
Cooking Instructions:
Fill in the chicken with cooked rice with cornel, salt and lightly fried
chopped onion. Sew up and bake in the oven pouring butter over
regularly.
Tblisi Beef & Mushrooms
Ingredients:
1 ts black pepper
1 ts white pepper
1 ts red pepper flakes
4 ts salt
4 ts peppercorns
3 ts dry mustard
1 tb paprika
1 ts all-spice
2 1/2 lb beef steak 3/4 thick
12 c flat noodles
1 tb vegetable oil
8 c beef stock
4 c onions chopped
32 oz sour cream or 32 oz Plain yogurt
Cooking Instructions:
Mix the spices in a bowl and set aside. Place the meat on a cutting
board and cut into 3/4 chunks. Lay these chunks flat and sprinkle with
the spice mixture. Cook the noodles and allow to remian ion the water.
Take a large, heavy pot and place it on High heat for 3-4 minutes. Add 1
T of vegetable oil and then the onions. Saute until onions are turning
transluscent. Add the meat and the remianing spice mixture. Stir and
cook for approx. 4-6 minutes. Add the stock. Scrape the pot bottom for
the crusts and mix them into the meat. Cook for 6 minutes more and
reduece the heat to Medium-High and stir in the sifted flour. Stir and
cook for 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for 3 more minutes. Whisk
in the sour cream and cook for 2-3 minutes. Drain the noodles, place a
serving of noodles on each plate and sevre the meat mixture over the
noodles.
Tkemali
Ingredients:
1 kg plums or cherry-plums
1 ea garlic head
1 c water
15 g cinnamon
1 bunch of cilantro
1 bunch of dill
Hot red pepper
Salt to taste
15 g coriander
Cooking Instructions:
Pour water over plums and cook for 30-40 minutes. 15 minutes before
finishing, add finely chopped greens. Then grate the mixture through a
sieve (bones and peel will be left). Cook mashed plums until dense on
low heat, add ground garlic, pepper and salt, bring to a boil and cool
down.
Ingredients:
2 pounds Lamb short ribs cut into 1" pieces
½ cup Rice
½ cup Walnuts chopped
½ teaspoon Paprika
½ teaspoon Cilantro fresh & chopped
⅓ cup Cherries dried
¼ teaspoon Thyme
1 tablespoon Parsley chopped
3 tablespoon Sunflower oil
1 quart Water
2 ounce Celery root
1 Carrot sliced
½ teaspoon Black pepper
2 Onions medium chopped
3 Bay leaves
¼ cup Ketchup
¼ tablespoon Hot sauce
1 teaspoon Sugar
2 tablespoon Lemon juice fresh
¼ teaspoon Sage
2 teaspoon Salt
3 Garlic cloves minced
⅓ cup Red wine dry
Cooking Instructions:
Brown lamb pieces in sunflower oil with garlic. Remove from heat. Bring water to a boil in a large stock pot. Add lamb, 1 teaspoon of salt & reduce heat to cook at slow boil for 30 minutes. Add all other ingredients, cook for 15 minutes at a slow boil, then reduce to simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
Ingredients:
1½ cup Yogurt plain no-fat
6 tablespoon Minced fresh cilantro
4 tablespoon Minced green onion
2 teaspoon Paprika
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
8 Flounder or sole fillets
4 Lg egg whites
2 cup Toasted wheat germ
Cooking Instructions:
Mix yogurt, cilantro, paprika, & green onion in small bowl. Season fish with salt & pepper. Preheat oven to 500øF. Spray baking sheet with vegetable oil spray. Place in oven. Whisk egg whites in medium bowl until foamy. Place wheat germ on large sheet of waxed paper. Dip fish fillets into egg whites, then turn fillets in wheat germ, coating lightly. Place fish fillets on hot baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt & pepper. Bake until fish is opaque in center, about 8 minutes. Remove from oven; let stand 2 minutes. Transfer to platter. Serve yogurt sauce alongside.
Servings: 6
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 chicken (4 1/2 pounds), cut into 12 to 16 pieces, well rinsed and patted dry
6 cloves garlic, crushed in a garlic press
3 large onions, coarsely chopped
10 fresh, ripe plum tomatoes, peeled and quartered
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
6 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, plus additional for garnish
5 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
5 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
8 black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Cooking Instructions:
Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven. Add the chicken pieces, a few at a time, and brown on all sides over medium heat. Replace all the chicken in the Dutch oven. Stir the garlic and onions into the chicken. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover tightly, and cook without stirring for 15 minutes. The chicken will release quite a lot of juice. Add the tomatoes, wine, l/4 cup lemon juice, half the herbs, all the peppercorns, the bay leaf, and salt and pepper. Simmer, covered, until the chicken is tender, about 35 minutes. Stir in the rest of the herbs and simmer for 10 minutes more. Taste and correct the seasoning. Remove the bay leaf. Sprinkle with fresh basil, and serve at once.
Servings: 6
Ingredients:
1/2 cup dry red wine, pomegranate juice, or sparkling water
3 cloves garlic, crushed in a garlic press
1 small onion, grated
8 to 10 black peppercorns, crushed
Salt, to taste
2 1/2 pounds boneless lean sirloin, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
3 small onions, cut into wedges
3 green bell peppers, cored, seeded, and cut into wedges
1/4 cup olive oil
Garnishes:
Radicchio or red kale leaves
2 tomatoes
2 lemons, cut into wedges
8 scallions (green onions), trimmed
1 long zucchini, cut into six 1-inch-thick slices
Cooking Instructions:
In a large glass bowl, combine the wine, garlic, grated onion, peppercorns, and salt, then add the meat and toss to coat well. Refrigerate, covered, for 6 to 8 hours, turning the meat occasionally. Bring to room temperature before grilling. Prepare hot coals for grilling until coated with white ash, or preheat the broiler. Toss the onion and pepper wedges in a bowl with the oil. Remove the meat from the marinade and string it on long metal skewers, alternating meat cubes with onion and pepper wedges and pushing everything closely together.
5. Grill or broil the skewers 4 inches away from the heat, turning frequently and sprinkling with the marinade every 3 minutes, 9 to 10 minutes for medium-rare, 12 to 13 minutes for medium.
6. To serve in a traditional way, line two serving platters with radicchio leaves or red kale. Cut into the tomatoes as though you are cutting them into quarters, but leave intact at the stem ends. Place one in the middle of each platter. Scatter lemon wedges and scallions on the platters. Stick the sharp end of each skewer into a zucchini slice. Place three skewers on each platter and bring the open ends together to form a tripod. Wrap the ends with a linen napkin to hold them together. Serve at once.
