Shkmeruli

Ingredients

Chicken

• 1whole chicken, about 1.4 kg, spatchcocked
• salt and black pepper
• 3 tbspoil or butter

Garlic milk

• 12 clovesgarlic, or more
• 500 mlwhole milk
• 1 tspsalt
• 1 tspdried summer savory or utskho suneli, optional

To finish

• chopped coriander or parsley

To serve

• shoti bread, or any bread, for the sauce
• a green salad

Equipment

• a ketsi, the Georgian clay pan, or a heavy cast iron pan with a lid

Directions

1. Season it well on both sides and let it sit 20 minutes. Now heat the oil in the pan until it is properly hot.
2. Lay the chicken in skin side down and press it flat with a weight, a second pan or a foil-wrapped brick. Weighting it down is the traditional tabaka method and it forces every part of the skin against the hot pan.
3. Fry it, weighted, for 12 to 15 minutes without moving it. Leave it alone. The skin needs uninterrupted contact to crisp, and lifting it to check tears it and lets the fat escape.
4. Turn it and cook the other side 10 minutes. Now cut the chicken into pieces, or leave it whole if the pan is large enough. Crush it to a paste rather than chopping it, so it disperses into the milk instead of sitting in pieces. Warm the milk gently and stir in the garlic paste and the savory.
5. Warm the milk before it meets the hot pan, because cold milk poured into a very hot pan is more likely to split. Bring it to a bare simmer and cook, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes.
6. Keep it at the gentlest simmer. It will thicken slightly and take on the chicken fat, and it should stay smooth and creamy. Taste the sauce and adjust the salt. It should be strongly garlicky, savoury and rich, and it should coat a spoon lightly.
7. Scatter coriander over and serve it in the pan. Serve plenty of bread, because the sauce is the reason for the dish and none of it should be left.

Technique

• A ketsi is cheap in Georgian shops and holds heat far better than metal.
• Some versions use cream or a mix of milk and cream, which is richer and less traditional.
• It is made with a whole small chicken rather than portions in Georgia.

Substitutions

• A heavy cast iron pan with a lid in place of a ketsi.
• Chicken thighs, which are more forgiving than a whole bird.

Variations

• Made with cream for a richer sauce.
• Chicken tabaka, fried flat without the sauce.
• With more garlic still, which is the Racha tendency.

History

Named after Shkmeri village in mountainous Racha and served in a ketsi clay dish with heavy garlic.

Frequently asked questions

What is Shkmeruli?

Shkmeruli is a main from Georgia: chicken fried then simmered in garlicky milk, served in a clay pan. Named after Shkmeri village in mountainous Racha and served in a ketsi clay dish with heavy garlic.

How long does Shkmeruli take to make?

Shkmeruli takes 15 min of preparation and 45 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Shkmeruli?

Yes, within limits. A heavy cast iron pan with a lid in place of a ketsi. Chicken thighs, which are more forgiving than a whole bird.

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

Turn it and cook the other side 10 minutes. Now cut the chicken into pieces, or leave it whole if the pan is large enough. Crush it to a paste rather than chopping it, so it disperses into the milk instead of sitting in pieces. Warm the milk gently and stir in the garlic paste and the savory.