Chkmeruli

In this dish, the final success depends on the correctly chosen and prepared bird, and our step-by-step Chkmeruli recipe with a photo will help you not make a mistake in the cooking technology. The weight of the carcass should be 600-900 g, and it is advisable to choose heavier dishes in which the chicken will be cooked. We remove all remnants of fluff from the chicken, especially a lot of it in the armpits. We wash the carcass, wipe it with a paper towel. With a sharp knife or kitchen scissors, cut off the excess skin from the neck, and then cut the chicken along the breast. We open the carcass and remove the insides, if any.

Lay the chicken skin side up on a cutting board. We wrap the board together with the carcass in several layers with cling film, or transfer it to a plastic bag and tie the edge. We beat off the chicken carcass with a kitchen hammer or other heavy object, you do not need to apply a lot of force. In order for the chicken to lie more densely in the pan, we need to make it flat, and for this, try to focus on the joints and large bones.

A beaten chicken does not need to be pre-marinated. So that it does not turn out bland, it is enough at this stage to salt it on both sides. Once again, check that there is no residue of fluff on the skin of the chicken.

When choosing dishes in which chkmeruli will be cooked, give preference to a thick-walled pan, you can also use a grill pan. We put the pan on a strong fire for a few minutes, after heating we put ghee in it and let it warm up. We shift the chicken into the pan with the skin down, lightly pressing it down with your hand for a few seconds so that a good crust “grabs”. We fry the carcass over high heat, without covering with a lid for 5-7 minutes.

As time has passed - turn over. Do everything carefully, slightly lifting the chicken on all sides with a spatula so that the skin does not remain at the bottom of the pan. Now you need to make a load, which can be used as a jar, ladle or a small pot of water. So that the cooking process does not suffer, pour boiling water into the weighting agent. We put a flat plate on top of the chicken so that the load is stable. We reduce the fire to medium or slightly less and continue to cook Chicken Chkmeruli in this format for 15 minutes.

We remove the press from the carcass and see what happens. Again, carefully separate the chicken from the bottom with a spatula and turn over. Re-install the weighting agent and leave the chicken for another 15 minutes to fry on the other side.

While the bird is fried, make the spicy base for the creamy sauce. Chop the fresh herbs very finely. Most often, cilantro or parsley is used, you can take a mixture of these herbs. Grind the garlic through a press or with a knife and transfer to a bowl along with herbs. Add salt and freshly ground pepper there. We begin to grind the greens with garlic, seeking to combine their tastes. It is best to do this in a mortar, but you can do without it.

We remove the press from the bird, it is no longer needed. Flip the chicken skin side up and spread the seasoning mixture over it. It is important to add it at the end, because if you do it at the beginning, it will simply burn out. Pour a glass of hot low-fat cream into the pan. Instead, you can safely take milk 3.2%. Cover the pan with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Simmer the chicken for about 20-25 minutes. To make sure the chicken is ready, pierce the leg area with a toothpick, if clear juice comes out, then the dish can be removed from the heat.

Transfer the hot chicken to a serving dish, decorate with sauce and serve! We got an excellent Georgian Chkmeruli dish in a spicy sauce, which will be a worthy decoration of the festive table.
Enjoy your meal!