Chakapuli

About This Recipe

Chakapuli is one of Georgia's most beloved seasonal dishes, prepared every spring when the tarragon, green plums (tkemali), and fresh herbs arrive simultaneously. Tender young lamb is slow-cooked in white wine with enormous handfuls of fresh tarragon and a sharp tartness from unripe plums. The result is intensely herbal, slightly sour, and utterly unlike anything else in world cooking. It is traditionally eaten on Easter Sunday.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 1.2 kgyoung lamb(cut into medium pieces, bone-in)
• 200 mldry white wine
• 1 large bunchfresh tarragon(leaves stripped — very generous amount)
• 150 ggreen plums or tkemali(sour, unripe — or substitute tart gooseberries)
• 1 mediumonion(finely sliced)
• 4 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 1 small bunchspring onions(chopped)
• 1 small bunchfresh coriander(chopped)
• 1 small bunchfresh dill(chopped)
• 1 tspsalt
• 0.5 tspblack pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Layer lamb

   Place lamb pieces in a wide heavy pot in a single layer. Add onion, garlic, and spring onions over the top.

2. 2

   Add wine and plums

   Pour over white wine. Add green plums or tkemali. Season with salt and pepper.

3. 3

   Simmer

   Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer covered for 1 hour until lamb is very tender.

4. 4

   Add herbs

   Add almost all the tarragon, coriander, and dill in the final 10 minutes of cooking. Reserve a handful for serving.

5. 5

   Serve

   Serve in deep bowls with the broth. Scatter reserved fresh herbs over the top. Eat with Georgian bread.

Variations

• •

  Add a handful of walnut pieces for extra richness.

• •

  Replace lamb with veal for a milder flavour.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

• •

  Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.

Storage

Refrigerate for 3 days. The flavour deepens overnight.

Frequently Asked Questions