Ingredients
Chicken
- 1whole chicken, or 6 pieces on the bone
- 2 litreswater
- 1onion, whole
- salt
Base
- 3onions, very finely chopped
- 50 gbutter
- 2 tbspplain flour
Liaison
- 4egg yolks
- juice of 2 lemons, or 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
Spices
- 1 tspground coriander seed
- ½ tspground blue fenugreek, utskho suneli
- a pinch of saffron or dried marigold
- 1 tspblack pepper
To finish
- a large bunch of coriander, chopped
- a little fresh mint, optional
To serve
- hot, with bread
Directions
- Put the chicken in cold water with a whole onion and salt and bring it slowly to a boil. Skim the grey scum carefully as it rises, for the first fifteen minutes. Skim it while it is still a coherent raft, since once it disperses the broth is cloudy for good and this soup is judged on clarity. Now reduce it to a bare simmer and cook for about an hour until the chicken is tender.
- Lift the chicken out, strain the broth and shred the meat off the bones. Now the onions, which need real time and are the only vegetable here. Cook the very finely chopped onions gently in butter for fifteen to twenty minutes.
- Cook them until they have completely dissolved into a soft pale mass, without letting them brown. Any recognisable piece of onion in the finished soup is a fault, and browning them would darken a broth that should stay pale.
- Whisk in the strained broth gradually and bring it back to a simmer. Add the coriander seed, blue fenugreek and saffron. Return the shredded chicken and let it warm through. Now the liaison, which is the step that needs care and where it goes wrong.
- Beat the egg yolks with the lemon juice in a bowl until smooth. Now temper them: whisk several ladlefuls of the hot broth into the yolks, a little at a time. Add at least three or four ladlefuls before the mixture goes anywhere near the pot. Now take the pot off the heat entirely before pouring the tempered mixture back in. Pour it in slowly while stirring constantly.
- Return it to the lowest possible heat and warm it gently, stirring without stopping, until it thickens slightly. Never let it boil after the eggs are in, which curdles it immediately and fills the soup with grainy flecks.
- Add more lemon or vinegar if it tastes flat. Season with salt and plenty of black pepper. Stir in a large handful of chopped fresh coriander just before serving. It goes in off the heat, since cooking turns it dark and dull, and it should be used in quantity rather than sprinkled.
- Serve it hot in deep bowls with bread. It does not reheat well, since boiling it again splits the egg, so warm it very gently if you must.
Technique
- It contains no vegetables beyond onion, which is deliberate.
- It belongs to the same family as avgolemono and terbiyeli çorba.
- It does not reheat well, since reboiling splits the egg.
Substitutions
- White wine vinegar in place of lemon juice, which is traditional in some regions.
- Ordinary fenugreek used sparingly, in place of blue.
Variations
- Made with vinegar rather than lemon.
- With more saffron, for a deeper colour.
- Made with turkey, which is also traditional.
Frequently asked questions
What is Chikhirtma?
Chikhirtma is a soup & stew from Georgia: chicken broth thickened with egg and lemon; famed hangover cure.
How long does Chikhirtma take to make?
Chikhirtma takes 20 min of preparation and 1 hr 15 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Chikhirtma?
Yes, within limits. White wine vinegar in place of lemon juice, which is traditional in some regions. Ordinary fenugreek used sparingly, in place of blue.
What is the most important thing to get right in Chikhirtma?
Lift the chicken out, strain the broth and shred the meat off the bones. Now the onions, which need real time and are the only vegetable here. Cook the very finely chopped onions gently in butter for fifteen to twenty minutes.
