Chicken Tabaka Image Used Under Creative Commons License From pikachakula.com
When Americans see the word “Georgian”, they automatically assume it refers to the great state of Georgia. There is, however, another Georgia – one of the world’s most ancient countries in fact!
Located in the Caucasus mountains near Armenia, the country of Georgia is home to a noble people with a history stretching back tens of thousands of years. The people there live to be more than 110 on a regular basis, and invented winemaking, weaving, and many other crafts eventually re-discovered elsewhere in the world thousands of years later.
Their cuisine is unique, incorporating a multitude of herbs, garlic, berries, nuts and spices that makes for some of the most delicious and healthful recipes on the planet.
I have a life mission to expose their amazing cuisine to the world, and this is the first of many Georgian recipes you will discover here on TFD.
For the first recipe – one of my favorites! Cooked in a skillet or on the grill, chicken tabaka (Georgian: ტაბაკა) is an excellent way to cook a whole chicken quickly. The meat turns out juicy and flavorful and the skin is incredibly crisp and delicious. Served with the Georgian garlic and cilantro sauce called Niortskali, you have a match truly made in heaven!
Chicken Tabaka is traditionally made with Cornish Game Hens – by splitting the hen along the breast, one can flatten the whole bird for quick, even cooking. A brick or other heavy object is then placed on top of the hen, which speeds the cooking and gives that amazing skin.
FYI – the word “tabaka” does not mean “tobacco.” It is derived from the Georgian word “tapha”, a type of skillet in which chicken tabaka is usually cooked. We will instead use a large cast-iron skillet.
გემრიელად მიირთვით! (gemrielad miirthvith) – Bon Appetit, Citizens!
Battle on – The Generalissimo
Ingredients
- 2 whole Cornish Game Hens, 8 oz each
- salt to taste
- Very generous pinch of freshly ground pepper
- Generous pinch of cayenne pepper
- 2 garlic cloves
- 3 tbsp of coriander seeds, ground to powder in a spice grinder
- 1 tsp of freshly ground cumin powder
- 10 tbsp of butter
- A few blackberries and sprigs of dill for garnish (optional)
- Niortskali (Georgian garlic and cilantro sauce)
- Chicken stock -- 1 ½ cups
- Garlic, minced -- 6 to 8 cloves
- Paprika -- 1 ½ teaspoons
- Salt -- to taste
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- Cilantro, finely chopped -- ½ bunch
Instructions
- —
- Wash the hens thoroughly. Towel dry and with a paring knife, make a small slit at the lower edge of each breast half and then flatten bird gently with a meat tenderizer/hammer. Push tips of the drumsticks down through slits, one on each side, so knobby ends of drumsticks protrude on hen's underside. Make similar slits on upper edge of each breast half. Push wingtips through to other side. Flatten hen once more. Repeat with remaining hen.
- Rub hens with crushed garlic. Salt hens liberally. Grind coriander seeds, mix it with cayenne, cumin and black pepper. Thoroughly rub the hen with spice mixture from both sides.
- Heat a 12-inch skillet, preferably cast iron. Add 5 tablespoons of butter to skillet. When butter melts, place the 2 hens in the skillet, turning them to coat both sides with butter. Cook hens skin-side up over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, then turn skin-side down.
- Place a plate or another, slightly smaller skillet over each pair of hens. Weight it down with a heavy can or a bowl filled with water. Cook hens over medium heat until skin is brown and slightly crusty, 18-20 minutes. Turn birds, baste with the remaining 5 tablespoons of butter, replace the weight and cook 5 more minutes.
- Remove hens, plate them and garnish with blackberries and dill. Pour garlic sauce over birds and serve.
- While hens are cooking, make the garlic sauce: Heat chicken broth in a small saucepan. With a mortar and pestle, mash garlic with salt into a creamy paste. Whisk garlic into chicken broth along with paprika and cayenne. Set aside. Just before serving, stir in cilantro.
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