A chicken dish on a patterned plate

Chkmeruli Georgian garlic chicken

Name: Chkmeruli Georgian garlic chicken
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 6 large chicken legs; 2 tsp paprika; olive oil for frying; 10 fat garlic cloves; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 tsp sumac; 150ml soured cream; 1 lemon zested to make ½ tsp and juiced to make 3 tbsp; 1 tsp dried chilli flakes; 20g parsley finely chopped, plus extra to garnish; 20g coriander finely chopped, plus extra to garnish; cooked rice or warm crusty bread to serve

Gurdeep Loyal

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Serves 4 - 6

Easy

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 1 hr

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Chkmeruli is a classic Georgian dish where the chicken is weighed down as it’s shallow-fried until golden brown, then simmered in a pungent garlic sauce

Gluten free

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Try our Chkmeruli Georgian garlic chicken, then try lemon and garlic chicken, chicken kiev traybake, or one-pot koji roast chicken with garlic and ginger rice.

Chkmeruli is a classic Georgian dish with a very specific cooking method, where the chicken is weighed down as it’s shallow-fried until golden brown, then simmered in a pungent garlic sauce. David Chelidze – executive chef at Kinkally in London – champions the dish on his exquisitely tasty menu. “Chkmeruli is one of the most beloved dishes of Georgian cuisine, found in every region,” he explains. “A classic chkmeruli includes chicken, garlic, coriander, Imeretian saffron and milk or cream.

In Kutaisi the sauce is spicier and different types of poultry, such as duck or turkey, are used. In mountainous areas, wild mushrooms are added, giving the dish a unique aroma. And in cities like Tbilisi wine is often incorporated, adding a special depth to the dish.” For David the key to making a good chkmeruli is quality ingredients – choosing a fresh, whole, free-range chicken cut into even pieces for uniform cooking.

He also recommends using young garlic which has a more intense flavour – crushing it with salt in a mortar to add texture. Chkmeruli is always served in the pot it’s cooked in with crusty bread, potatoes or rice for soaking up the sauce. However, at Kinkally, they do things a little differently. “In some regions of Georgia, instead of bread they serve chkmeruli with a corn porridge called gomi,” David tells me. “At the restaurant I serve it with elarji, which is another type of corn porridge that has more cheese – and to add a touch of exotic freshness I also include a bit of lemongrass.”