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–+ servings

Georgian Shkmeruli: Garlic Chicken in a Creamy Sauce

Georgian food was a cuisine that I just hadn’t had a chance to explore. After hearing a lot about it and having a few Georgian bakeries and restuarants opening up nearby, I decided to do a deep drive and I was impressed. It’s rich cuisine with influences from many cultures.
This is a one pot meal that’s packed with flavor and is even better the next day. While not a totally traditional classic Shkmeruli, it’s very good and quite a bit lighter as I did not add the cream. Although I must say I’m sure it would have been even better with it.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Georgian
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • Chicken I used 5 bone in thighs.
  • Flour for dusting.
  • 3 Tbsp Butter
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp Khmeli Suneli spice blend 1/2 for chicken, 1/2 for flour. See note.
  • 6-8 cloves Garlic minced
  • 3 medium Carrots chopped
  • 1/2 cup Celery chopped.
  • 1 Onion chopped
  • 5-6 Baby Potatoes cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1/2 cup White Wine
  • 1/4- 1/2 cup Chicken or vegetable broth
  • Salt and pepper
1/2 cup Heavy Cream, optional

Equipment

  • Heavy Pot with Lid

Method
 

  1. Season your chicken with spice blend and salt and pepper. Allow to rest in the fridge.
  2. Preheat your oven to 350F. Coat the chicken in the flour and spice blend and brown in your oven proof pan and set aside.
  3. Add the garlic, vegetables and potatoes into the Dutch oven and wilt slightly. Deglaze with your wine. Add back your chicken, remaining spice mix and veggie stock.
  4. Cover and into a 350F oven for 35-45 minutes. Remove cover and add cream if using and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and adjust for salt as needed.
  5. It is traditionally served with Georgian bread to soak up the sauce. You can sub warm pita if the traditional bread is not available.
  6. If you need to make this gluten free, you can skip the flour coating and just brown the chicken directly in the pan.
Note: You can find many Khmeli Suneli spice blends online, but I particularly like this one from Mariko. Very balanced and incredible flavor. You can order it on Amazon from their storefront. They are a small business and they ship directly.

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