Let`s Eat Georgian

Paradise Found
Rediscovering The Legendary Cuisine of Georgia
For more recipes and information about Georgia, please visit our website at
www.tasteofgeorgia.net.
All recipes included in this brochure are from Darra Goldstein’s wonderful book,
“The Georgian Feast” published by the University of California Press ©1999.
Basturma
(bos-toor-ma)
Marinated Grilled Meat
Once upon a time, along the ancient Silk Road,
there was an enchanted land called Georgia.
A kebab with a deliciously different, spicy-sweet flavor. This popular Georgian favorite
works with fresh lamb, beef or pork. The art of marinating meat may have its origins here.
In fact, as a culinary term, you might recognize a certain popular descendent of“basturma”;
pastrami.
Basturma of Lamb
Serves 4 to 6
A land of snow-capped peaks and lush, tropical valleys. The Greeks believed it to
be the home of the legendary Golden Fleece. But who needs fantasy? The facts
are fantastic enough.
Long before the fine wines of France, there were
the fabled wines of Georgia. Centuries before the
Italian Renaissance, the Georgian Renaissance had
created a sophisticated civilization that placed high
value on philosophy, astronomy, medicine and, of
course, gastronomy. (It was Georgia, in fact, that
introduced the world to pheasant.) Little wonder
poets called it paradise.
Then, like Atlantis, this incredible civilization
sank beneath the waves of Mongols, Turks,
Czars and Soviets. For nearly 800 years her
glories remained hidden from the rest of the
world. But, with the collapse of the USSR,
Georgia is finally free. And miraculously,
much of her culture and cuisine has survived.
With the recipes in this booklet we attempt, not to introduce but to re-introduce to
the world, the astonishing and unique flavors of a land that’s still enchanted.
2 cups pomegranate juice
1/4/ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf, crushed
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 pounds boneless shoulder of leg of lamb, cut into 2-inch cubes
One 1-pound eggplant, salted, drained and parboiled (optional)
Mix together the pomegranate juice, olive oil, salt, pepper to taste, bat leaf and garlic.
Mrinate the lamb overnight in this mixture. The following day, place the meat on skewers,
alternating (if desired) with eggplant cubes. Grill over hot coals about 10 minutes
Chkmeruli
Khachapuri
(ch’k-muh-roo’-lee)
(‘hot-cha-poo’-ree)
Garlic Fried Chicken
Westerners are in for a very pleasant surprise - a new way to make chicken! (New to
most Westerners at any rate.) A savory, garlic/walnut sauce has made this quick, hearty
recipe a family favorite of West Georgians for generations.
Serves 3 to 4
One 3-lb chicken, cut into pieces
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
10 to 12 garlic cloves, peeled
1 cup walnuts
1 cup water
Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat the butter and oil.
Brown the chicken over medium high heat for 10 minutes; turn and fry for 10 minutes
more. Cover the pan and continue cooking over low heat for 20 to 25 minutes, until
the chicken is done. Meanwhile, finely grind together the garlic and the walnuts in a
blender. When the chicken is done, transfer it to a plate and keep warm. Pour off all but 4
tablespoons of pan drippings. Add the ground garlic and nuts to the fat remaining in the
pan, along with the water. Sprinkle on about _ teaspoon more salt. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Return the chicken to the pan, turning it to coat well with the sauce. Heat thoroughly
before serving.
Georgian Cheese Bread
Only recently introduced to Western palates, this bread is so amazingly delicious that
more than one religion in Georgia claims it for their traditional holiday celebrations.
And sidewalk cafes that have learned to make it well can expect long lines.
Serves 12 to 15
2 cups unbleached white flour
_ teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1_ sticks) cold butter, cut in pieces
2 eggs
_ cup plain yogurt
1_ lbs mixed Muenster and Havarti cheeses
1 egg yolk, beaten
Put the flour and salt in a medium bowl and cut in the butter until the mixture resembles
coarse cornmeal. Beat 1 egg and stir in the yogurt, then add to the flour mixture. Form
into a ball and chill for 1 hour. Grate the cheeses coarsely, beat the other egg and stir it
into the cheese. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a large baking sheet. On a floured board,
roll the dough to a rectangle about 12 x 17 inches. Trim the edges. Spread the cheese
mixture on half the dough and then fold the other half over to enclose it, sealing and
crimping the edges.
Transfer the bread to the baking sheet and brush with beaten egg yolk. Bake
for 50 minutes or until browned. The bread is best served slightly warm, cut into small
squares.
Khinkali
Badrizhani Mtsvanilit
(king-koll’-ee)
(bod’-ree-zhan’-ee m’ts-von-ee’-leet)
Beef and Pork Dumplings
Herbed Eggplant Salad
Marco Polo is said to have brought the notion of a “filled noodle” to Italy in the 13th
Century. But the Silk Road to China goes back much farther - and so might this Georgian
treat. Who’s to say the Mings didn’t acquire this simple, satisfying recipe from some
culinary Cossack?
The popularity of this oddly named plant is growing worldwide and many experts agree
it originated here. With the cholesterol-reducing powers of this deliciously complex
vegetable - actually a fruit – it’s no wonder Georgians live so long. (Fittingly, the “zh” in
this tantalizing aromatic salad has the same sound as the “s” in “pleasure”.)
Makes 25 dumplings
Serves 6
4 cups unbleached white flour
1_ teaspoons salt
1_ cups warm water
1 lb. mixed ground beef and pork (not too lean)
_ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1_ teaspoon salt
Pinch cayenne
_ teaspoon ground caraway seed
3 small onions, peeled
_ cup warm water or beef bouillon
Combine the four, salt and warm water to make a firm dough. Knead for 5 minutes, then let
sit, covered, for 30 to 40 minutes. Meanwhile, make the filling. Mix the ground meats and
spices. Grind the onions and stir them into the meat mixture. With your hands, knead in
the water or bouillon. Divide the dough into 25 pieces. On a floured board, roll each piece
out to a 6-inch round. Place about 2 tablespoons of filling in the center of each round. Make
accordion pleats all the way around the filling by folding the edges of the dough in toward
the center. Move in a clockwise direction, allowing each fold of the dough to overlap the
previous one, until the filling is completely enclosed in the pleated dough.
Holding the dumpling firmly in one hand, twist the pleats together at the center
to seal, breaking off the excess dough at the topknot. (The topknot is a handle to be eaten
or not.) Cook the dumplings in salted, boiling water for 12 to 15 minutes. Serve hot.
1 large (1_ lb) eggplant
_ teaspoon dried fenugreek
1 medium onion, peeled and minced
Pinch cayenne
2 tablespoons olive oil
_ teaspoon salt
Generous _ cup shelled walnuts
_ cup finely chopped mixed fresh herbs
2 large garlic cloves, peeled
(cilantro, celery leaf, parsley, dill)
_ teaspoon ground coriander seed
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
_ teaspoon ground marigold*
Slice the eggplant lengthwise. Sprinkle it with salt and leave it to drain on paper towel
for at least 30 minutes. Rinse and pat dry. Preheat the oven to 500 F. Place the eggplant
pieces cut side down on an oiled baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, or until tender.
Sauté the onion in the olive oil until golden. Set aside. Finely grind the walnuts
with garlic and spices. Turn out into a bowl and stir in the cooked onions. Add the chopped
herbs and the wine vinegar. Let the eggplant cool to lukewarm, then remove the skin and
cut the pulp into 1-inch pieces. Mix the eggplant thoroughly with the nut mixture. Cool
to room temperature before serving.
*You can grow marigold from seeds and dry the petals yourself for grinding or you can order
Variation: For cheese khinkali, make the following filling:
1 lb. farmer cheese
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 eggs
Press the farmer cheese through a sieve into a bowl. Beat in the salt, pepper and eggs,
mixing well. Continue as directed above.
powdered marigold from Aphrodisia, 282 Bleecker Street, New York, NY 10014 - (212) 989-6440