A recipe from Gemo
Imeretian Chicken in Isrim-Blackberry Sauce
A western Georgian chicken main from Imereti: a small spatchcocked chicken is fried until crisp, cut into pieces, and dressed with a tart raw sauce of unripe grapes, ripe blackberries, garlic, cilantro, dill, and pepper.
Method
- 01
Pat the 1.3 kg chicken dry. Cut along the breastbone or backbone to open it flat, press firmly to flatten, then season all over with 1.5 teaspoons salt and 0.5 teaspoon black pepper. Let it stand while you prepare the fruit.
- 02
Crush the 300 g unripe grapes in a bowl, then press them through a sieve to remove skins and seeds. Do the same with the 500 g blackberries. Mix the two strained pulps and juices together.
- 03
Stir the 4 crushed garlic cloves, chopped cilantro, 10 g chopped dill, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and the remaining 0.5 teaspoon salt into the fruit sauce. Taste: it should be tart, savory, garlicky, and lightly hot. Let the sauce rest while the chicken cooks.
- 04
Heat 2 tablespoons sunflower oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Lay the chicken skin side down, set a clean heavy pan or foil-wrapped weight on top, and cook until deeply browned, about 13-15 minutes. Turn the chicken, brush the browned skin with 1 tablespoon butter, replace the weight, and cook the second side for another 12-15 minutes.
⏱ 30 min
- 05
Check the thickest part of the thigh and breast; the chicken should be fully cooked and the juices clear, or 74 C if using a thermometer. If it needs more time, lower the heat, cover loosely, and cook for 5-8 minutes longer without letting the skin burn. Rest the chicken for 5 minutes.
⏱ 5 min
- 06
Cut the fried chicken into serving pieces and arrange them in a shallow dish. Spoon the isrim-blackberry sauce generously over the hot chicken, wait 10 minutes so the meat absorbs some of the sauce, then serve with the remaining sauce at the table.
⏱ 10 min
Nutrition
