Georgian Satsivi (Cold Chicken in Walnut Sauce)

About This Recipe

Georgian Satsivi is a real, traditional Georgian dish, known as Cold Chicken in Walnut Sauce. Poached chicken served cold, coated in a rich, garlicky walnut sauce spiced with marigold and coriander, a classic Georgian New Year dish.\n\nSatsivi is traditionally served at Georgian New Year and holiday celebrations, its name deriving from the word for 'cold', as the dish is meant to be served chilled or at room temperature after the walnut sauce has set.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in Georgian home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 1.2 kgwhole chicken or bone-in chicken pieces
• 1.5 Lwater
• 1yellow onion(halved)
• 300 gground walnuts
• 4garlic cloves
• 1 tspdried marigold or turmeric
• 1 tspground coriander
• 0.5 tspground fenugreek
• 1 tspchili flakes
• 2 tbspwhite wine vinegar
• 1 tspfine sea salt(to taste)
• 2 tbspchopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

1. 1

   Poach the chicken

   Simmer the whole chicken or chicken pieces with water and onion for 45 minutes until fully cooked through and tender.

2. 2

   Reserve the broth

   Remove the chicken and let cool slightly, then shred or cut into pieces. Reserve 600 ml of the poaching broth.

3. 3

   Make the walnut sauce

   Blend ground walnuts, garlic, marigold or turmeric, coriander, fenugreek and chili flakes with the reserved warm broth until smooth.

4. 4

   Season the sauce

   Stir in vinegar and season with salt to taste.

5. 5

   Combine

   Pour the walnut sauce over the chicken pieces, coating them thoroughly.

6. 6

   Chill and serve

   Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight, until the sauce sets slightly and the flavors meld. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve cold or at room temperature.

Variations

• •

  Use turkey instead of chicken for a traditional variation especially common during holiday celebrations.

• •

  Some households add a splash of pomegranate juice to the sauce for extra tang and color.

• •

  Adjust the chili flakes for a milder or spicier version.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.

Frequently Asked Questions