Chakhokhbili

Ingredients

Chicken

• 1.5 kgchicken, in pieces, skin on

Pot

• 3onions, sliced
• 1 kgripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 6 clovesgarlic, crushed
• 1mild red chilli

Herbs and spice

• 1large bunch coriander
• 1large bunch flat-leaf parsley
• 1 bunchbasil
• 1 tspdried marigold
• 1 tspblue fenugreek
• ½ tspground coriander seed
• salt and black pepper

Directions

1. Dry-fry the chicken pieces in a heavy pot, skin side down, with no oil at all. Within a few minutes they release plenty of their own fat, and oil added at the start makes the finished stew greasy.
2. Brown them well on both sides, about 10 minutes in total, then lift them out.
3. Cook the sliced onions in the rendered chicken fat for 10 minutes, until soft and lightly golden.
4. Return the chicken to the pot, add the tomatoes, cover, and cook over a low heat for 30 minutes.
5. Add no water at any stage. The tomatoes and onions give all the liquid the dish should have, and chakhokhbili is meant to be thick and clinging rather than soupy.
6. Add the garlic, chilli, dried marigold, blue fenugreek and ground coriander and cook for a further 10 minutes.
7. Chop the fresh herbs roughly and stir in an enormous quantity of them, with the pot off the heat or very nearly so.
8. Cover and let it stand for 10 minutes so the herbs wilt in the residual heat rather than boiling, which turns them dark and dulls them completely.
9. Season and serve with bread to mop the pot.

Technique

• No oil, no water, herbs at the very end. Three restraints, and the dish is built on all three.
• The name comes from khokhobi, meaning pheasant, which was the original bird. Chicken replaced it once tomatoes reached the Caucasus.
• Dried marigold is sold as Imeretian saffron and is not related to saffron at all. It is worth buying rather than substituting.

Substitutions

• Tinned tomatoes with most of their juice drained off, if fresh are poor.
• Extra parsley and dill if basil is unavailable, though basil is the Georgian one.

Variations

• With a splash of dry white wine added with the tomatoes.
• With aubergine cooked alongside the onions.
• Made with pheasant, which is the older version the name preserves.

History

The name comes from khokhobi, pheasant, the original bird; chicken replaced it once tomatoes reached the Caucasus.

Frequently asked questions

What is Chakhokhbili?

Chakhokhbili is a soup & stew from Georgia: chicken stewed with tomatoes and huge handfuls of fresh herbs. The name comes from khokhobi, pheasant, the original bird; chicken replaced it once tomatoes reached the Caucasus.

How long does Chakhokhbili take to make?

Chakhokhbili takes 20 min of preparation and 1 hr of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Chakhokhbili?

Yes, within limits. Tinned tomatoes with most of their juice drained off, if fresh are poor. Extra parsley and dill if basil is unavailable, though basil is the Georgian one.

What is the most important thing to get right in Chakhokhbili?

Add no water at any stage. The tomatoes and onions give all the liquid the dish should have, and chakhokhbili is meant to be thick and clinging rather than soupy.