epicurious
Chicken Satsivi (Chicken in Walnut Sauce)
Finely ground walnuts turn into the creamiest (but cream-free) sauce you've ever had, seasoned with garlic, cinnamon, and blue fenugreek.
👥 8 Servings👤 Rose Previte📖 epicurious
🥘 Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you prepare them:
🍳 Cookware
- ●pot
- ●cutting board
- ●baking sheet
- ●skillet
- ●bowl
- ●food processor
- ●whisk
📝 Preparation Steps
1
Place the chicken in a large pot and cover with water by 3 inches. Season the water generously with several pinches of salt. Bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the meatiest part of the thigh registers at least 180°F, 35 to ⏱️ 45 minutes. Strain the chicken and reserve the broth separately. Place the chicken on a cutting board.
chicken (about 4 pounds), whole or cut into pieces1
2
Set a broiler rack 6 inches below the heat source and set the broiler to high. Cut the cooled chicken into 8 pieces (unless it is already cut up) and arrange the pieces skin side up on a baking sheet. Sprinkle all over with salt. Broil until browned, 8 to ⏱️ 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
chicken (about 4 pounds), whole or cut into pieces1
3
Meanwhile, to prepare the walnut sauce, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and a couple of pinches of salt and cook, stirring, until translucent and softened, about ⏱️ 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
medium onions, finely chopped2
4
Process the walnuts in a food processor until very finely chopped. Transfer the nuts to a large bowl. Add the blue fenugreek, cloves, cinnamon, coriander, saffron, garlic, cayenne, and 1 teaspoon salt. Use your hands to knead and rub the walnuts until they are very oily and stick firmly together when pressed between your fingers; this will take about ⏱️ 20 minutes.
walnuts8 cupsgarlic, crushed with a garlic press2 cloves
5
Add the sautéed onions and about 1 cup (240 ml) of the reserved broth to the walnuts and stir until the mixture takes on the consistency of sour cream; the color will lighten considerably. Add more broth as necessary to loosen the walnuts.
medium onions, finely chopped2walnuts8 cups
6
Whisk enough broth into the walnut mixture to make it pourable, and pour it into the large pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for ⏱️ 10 minutes. Add the pieces of chicken. Return to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer if necessary to reheat the chicken. Remove from the heat.
chicken (about 4 pounds), whole or cut into pieces1
7
Serve hot, and pass the adjika and tkemali sauce, if using, separately at the table.
Adjika (homemade or store-bought Georgian red pepper sauce), for serving (see note)Tkemali sauce (sour plum sauce, see note), for serving (optional)
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