Tabaka Chicken with Clarified Butter

⏳ Time

30 minutes

🥕 Ingredients

🍽️ Servings

Description

It is very important to buy a good chicken. There are no guarantees at the supermarket that you'll get a decent bird. In Georgia, chickens are fed corn, which makes them tender and flavorful. The birds from the supermarket are usually raised on some genetically modified nightmare, and their taste is dreadful—or they have no taste at all. This applies not only to chickens but to any meat. So, don’t hesitate to visit the market and talk to the vendors.

Ingredients

Ghee - 2 spoons
Poultry - 1 piece
Garlic - 1 head
Ocean salt - to taste
Ground Black Pepper - to taste

Step by Step guide

Step 1

Take a cleaned young chicken and make a cut along the belly so that the body flattens out. Season with salt and pepper on both sides. In Georgia, the chicken is traditionally grilled either on a ketsi or over an open flame, but any sufficiently wide, heavy-bottomed skillet will work for us.

Step 2

Heat oil in a skillet. If you don't have ghee, you can use butter and add a little sunflower oil. However, it is generally considered that ghee is better suited for frying. In Georgia, ghee is a staple in every household.

Step 3

Place the chicken in the skillet and press it down so that it makes good contact with the bottom of the pan. Fry over medium heat for 15–20 minutes, until a golden crust forms, then flip it over and continue frying for another 15–20 minutes. To check if the chicken is done, pierce it with a knife or fork; if the juices run clear, it is ready. It is very important not to overcook it, or the chicken will turn out dry, like chips.

Step 4

Tabaka chicken is usually served with garlic. However, a common mistake made by novice cooks is rubbing the chicken with garlic before frying, which results in a bitter flavor. It is better to drizzle the finished chicken with garlic water. A wonderful reaction occurs, making it very delicious. Alternatively, you can simply rub the cooked chicken with crushed garlic. The Imeretian variation is to serve the chicken with a purée of blackberries mixed with cilantro and crushed garlic. You can also add unripe grapes to this mixture. Additionally, tabaka chicken is enjoyed with baza or tkemali sauce. Of course, it is eaten with your hands.