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Recipe: Shkmeruli, a Georgian Garlic Bomb

Name: Shkmeruli
Cuisine: Tbilisi
Ingredients: 1 whole chicken1 head garlic, chopped1 thumb fresh ginger1 cup milk (more or less)1 cup heavy cream (more or less)2 tbsp cold pressed sunflower oil1tsp butter1 tbsp ground coriander1 tbsp red adjika paste1tsp chopped fresh parsleySalt and pepper to taste

By Paul Rimple

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Ingredients

1 whole chicken

1 head garlic, chopped

1 thumb fresh ginger

1 cup milk (more or less)

1 cup heavy cream (more or less)

2 tbsp cold pressed sunflower oil

1tsp butter

1 tbsp ground coriander

1 tbsp red adjika paste

1tsp chopped fresh parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Step One

We put some Hamlet Gonashvili on the music player for ambience and popped open a bottle of rkatsiteli (great with shkmeruli) before cutting our chicken into eighth pieces, plus wings (drumstick, thigh, and breasts in half) and seasoning it with salt, pepper and coriander.

Step Two

Our ketsi is in the village, so we heated a cast iron skillet, added the oil and browned the chicken, starting with the legs, as they need more time. We snuggled the breasts into the pan skin side down and added a good swig of wine after we flipped them, then slid the pan in the oven, preheated to 190 degrees C (375 degrees F) for about 45 minutes.

Step Three

While the chicken was roasting, we poured more wine to contemplate the pièce de résistance and settled on one head of garlic plus three cloves for luck. We went with Tekuna’s method of adding ginger to the mix and might have used a vulgar garlic press, only because shkmeruli is a lewd dish, but we had just bought a brand new food processor we couldn’t wait to inaugurate.

Most recipes call for adding the raw garlic and milk towards the end, which is great if you have a flight the next morning and want to assure yourself both armrests. Tekuna likes to sauté the garlic and ginger for a minute or so until soft, then adds the milk and cream and mixes the adjika in. That’s what we did this time and we brought it all to a simmer for a minute and cut the fire.

Step Four

We went with an equal measure of milk and cream – maybe a cup of each – enough to cover the chicken well, but not drown it. Salt and pepper to taste, but the chicken was well seasoned enough that we didn’t need much.

Step Five

About five minutes or so before the chicken was ready, we took it out of the oven, poured the sauce over the bird and finished it in the oven. The chopped parsley went on before serving. We baked thick slices of Russet potatoes for a side dish, as they are great for sopping up the sauce from the skillet.

Step Six

We slipped the first bites into our mouths, and the garlic released its subdued authority as we chewed on the tender chicken. Nailed it, but this time we would not forget. Draining our bottle into our glasses, we raised them and proposed a toast to Tekuna.

By Paul Rimple Photos by Justyna Mienikiewicz

Published on March 25, 2021

Georgia’s astounding winemaking tradition traces back eight millennia, and is not to be missed. From the country’s different varieties, terroirs, and winemaking methods, there’s a lot to learn – and taste – when it comes to Georgian wine. As a starting point (or simply for those who don’t have time to venture out of the city), Tbilisi’s wine bars are a great place to have a glass or two and dig into Georgian viticulture. Wine bars are a relatively new trend in Georgia and about the greatest thing to happen since the invention of the kvevri, the characteristic ceramic vessels for fermenting and storing traditional Georgian wine.

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