Satsivi - general principles and methods of preparation
Georgian cuisine is famous for its delicious and hearty dishes. But not the dishes themselves make it so attractive, but original savory sauces, various spicy additives, greens and herbs. Thanks to them, meat and vegetables acquire a very special taste. Satsivi is a dish that is cooked in just this way. On the one hand, this is a sauce that can be served with meat and fish dishes, on the other - a real national dish, which is called “satsivi”. Eating it cold is a poultry dish - chicken or turkey. In rare cases, it is made from other meats or even fish.
Satsivi - product preparation
Preparing a dish based on the popular walnuts in Georgia, they are well ground and wiped through a metal sieve. Without nuts it would be just a tasty chicken, but not satsivi. Georgian cuisine is different in that the same dishes in different parts of the country are cooked differently. Disputes that it is better to choose for satsivi - chicken or turkey - do not subside to this day. Probably, they will last forever, so each housewife chooses the main product on their own.
Of the herbs, the main component is saffron, which has a neutral taste and yellowish color, as well as pepper, garlic, and cinnamon. From the greens necessarily present cilantro and other spicy herbs. Natural fruit juices give sourness, it can be pomegranate. Pieces of the bird lay out a layer, pour the sauce and leave to infuse and harden. The sauce permeates the meat for several hours. Satsivi is always cooked on holidays in Georgia, a juicy, fragrant dish requires respect, primarily because it is cooked for so long.
Satsivi - the best recipes
Recipe 1: Chicken Traditional Satsivi
Let's try to become wizards for a while and get out of ordinary walnuts fragrant spicy sauce with a consistency similar to sour cream. Color will depend on the amount of green. The softest chicken easily breaks across even with a simple spoon.
Ingredients: chicken (1 kg), peeled walnut kernels (400 grams), onion (1 large), garlic (2 cloves), cilantro or parsley, egg, hop-suneli (1 spoon), imeretinsky Saffron (1 tsp), black pepper, ground coriander, vinegar (1 tbsp), chicken broth (400-600 ml.). Method of preparation
Nut sauce with a meat grinder is very difficult to do - if you turn the nuts several times, a thick nutty sticky mass clogs the inside. Rub nuts and in a mortar - it will take even more effort. The easiest way to beat the sauce with a blender. While the chicken is boiled in salted water (cut it into pieces), prepare the sauce. Grind the nuts in any way. Fry the onions on low heat, cool to room temperature. Smash a raw egg, add parsley, garlic, fried onions and mix with minced nuts several times through a meat grinder. Pour in chicken broth and beat. Add salt, seasonings, vinegar (you can limit or not put). The sauce turns whitish in color, similar to liquid sour cream. If a blender is used to make the sauce, the broth should be poured in parts. Put the chicken into the saucepan and pour over the sauce. Bring to a boil over medium heat and remove. Insist at least 3 hours. Serve without warming up.
Recipe 2: Chicken Satsivi in Bazhe (with adjika)
Bagé is a kind of Satsivi. Nuts are not brewed here. Usually in Georgian restaurants outside of Georgia they prepare exactly this version of the dish. The main thing is to choose the right nuts. They should be lighter, filled with juice. You can not take a whole chicken, but for example, the wings - they are beautiful and the same size.
Ingredients: turkey or chicken (2 kg), peeled walnuts (0. 5 kg), garlic (half head), sharp adzhika (without tomatoes) (3 full teaspoons with tops), seasoning satsivi ( 2 teaspoons), saffron (powder, 1 teaspoon), salt.
Method of preparation
Lay the wings in a saucepan and add water to cover them. Boil briefly - about 15 minutes after boiling. Pour the broth into a separate dish, strain. In a frying pan, fry the finely chopped onion in butter, then put the wings and fry for another 15 minutes, turning over and stirring constantly. Cooking sauce bage with adjika. Carefully inspect the peeled nuts so as not to leave the shell parts and partitions. My cilantro, clean the garlic. We put everything in a blender and grind. Add salt, hops-suneli, adjika, cinnamon, pomegranate juice and seasonings (saffron, coriander, black and red pepper). Ideally, the nuts should be pounded separately in a mortar, and then mixed with the other ingredients. Baja sauce is ready - it does not need to be boiled or stewed. Fill them with wings and leave to infuse for 3-4 hours. Satsivi served with hot pita. Cold satsivi - hot side dish. If you really want a side dish - you can serve rice without salt, it perfectly emphasizes the whole range of spices.
Recipe 3: Eggplant Satsivi
Another option for cooking satsivi is eggplants in a peanut sauce.
Ingredients: eggplants (5 pieces), pomegranate juice (0.5 cups), vegetable oil (3 tablespoons), onions (3 pcs.), Garlic (4 cloves), peeled nuts (200 grams ), hot pepper without seeds (1 small), cilantro, salt, basil.
Method of preparation
Chop nuts, crushed in a mortar and mixed with saffron, garlic, hot pepper, 2 tsp. salt. Pour in 2 glasses of water and pomegranate juice. Peel and chop the onion, fry in a saucepan, in oil, about 4-5 minutes. Add the nut sauce, bring to a boil and cook for about 15 minutes. Cut slices of eggplants, salt and leave for 30 minutes. Wash, lightly squeeze and fry in oil for about 3 minutes on each side. Grind the herbs and pour boiling sauce. Give cool. Before serving, sprinkle with pomegranate grains - very beautiful and appetizing.
Satsivi - Useful tips from experienced chefs
- Properly cooked satsivi should be white. Much attention should be paid to nuts - if you pour nuts exclusively with boiling water, the sauce will come out much lighter.
- Bow stew on the smallest fire until it dissolves, becomes gel-like. In no case should it be burnt, otherwise the dish may be spoiled.
- The broth is added to the nut mass, and not vice versa. This achieves the desired density.
- To make the dish as light as possible, without losing the taste, take a chicken breast and remove the skin from it, simmer in a closed frying pan. Cook the sauce on the water, put nuts in half, and fill them with greens.
