Ingredients
Cornmeal
- 250 gfine white cornmeal
- 100 gcoarse cornmeal
- 1.2 litreswater
- 1 tspsalt
Cheese
- 600 gsulguni, grated or torn
- 200 gfresh unaged sulguni or mozzarella
To serve
- pickles
- ajika
Directions
- Bring the water to the boil with the salt and rain in the coarse cornmeal, whisking hard as it goes.
- Cook for 20 minutes, stirring often, then whisk in the fine cornmeal and cook for 15 minutes more until very thick.
- Take the pot off the heat and add the cheese in handfuls, working each one in with a wooden spoon or paddle.
- Press the mass against the side of the pot, fold it over on itself, and repeat, for 10 to 15 minutes without stopping.
- Keep the pot warm over the lowest possible heat while you work, because the cheese stops stretching the moment it cools. It is ready when a lifted spoon draws a rope at least a hand’s length before it breaks.
- Turn it out onto a warmed plate and serve immediately, eaten with the hands, with pickles or ajika alongside. It sets solid within minutes and cannot be reheated back to its stretchy state, so it goes straight from the pot to the table.
Technique
- Sulguni is a brined stretching cheese, closer to mozzarella than to anything hard, and only a cheese that stretches will work here.
- It is heavy work. A long wooden paddle and a stable pot make it considerably easier.
- Two grades of cornmeal give the texture: coarse for body, fine for smoothness.
Substitutions
- Low-moisture mozzarella with a little feta for salt, in place of sulguni.
- Fine polenta in place of the cornmeal, cooked the same way.
Variations
- Ghomi, the plain unstretched cornmeal it is built on, served with cheese alongside.
- With more cheese for a richer, stringier result.
- Served with kupati sausages, which is the Megrelian pairing.
History
Megrelian cornmeal beaten with sulguni until it stretches in ropes, a Black Sea maize dish eaten by hand.
Frequently asked questions
What is Elarji?
Elarji is a salad & side from Georgia: stiff cornmeal beaten with sulguni cheese until elastic; Samegrelo specialty. Megrelian cornmeal beaten with sulguni until it stretches in ropes, a Black Sea maize dish eaten by hand.
How long does Elarji take to make?
Elarji takes 10 min of preparation and 50 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated hard to make.
What can I substitute in Elarji?
Yes, within limits. Low-moisture mozzarella with a little feta for salt, in place of sulguni. Fine polenta in place of the cornmeal, cooked the same way.
