A Christmas-Time Georgian Feast
(image by The Global Reader)
The cookbook I’ve relied for my visit to Georgia is The Georgian Feast by Darra Goldstein. Two thumbs way up for this one – the writing, the history, the recipes are all fantastic. It will indeed be on permanent rotation in this household from here on out.
I went big on one meal, and even invited company over to share! On a Monday night even! That’s super daring for me; but I didn’t need to worry. Georgian food is delicious, and not hard to cook at all. I just did most of the prep the day before, and I managed to get everything to the table hot, fully cooked and without freaking myself or any of my guests out. One mishap though: I was so focused on cooking and being a good hostess that I neglected to get many photographs. You’ll just have to trust me that everything was lovely.
All of the recipes below are taken directly from the cookbook – any variations will be noted after the directions for each dish.
Basturma of Beef (Marinated Beef Kabobs)
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef sirloin, cut into 2-inch cubes
- 1 large onion, peeled and grated
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 black peppercorns, crushed
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
- 1 1/4 cups olive oil
- 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- tomatoes, scallions
Directions
Place the meat cubes in a large bowl. Mix together thoroughly the onion, salt, peppercorns, garlic, and herbs [in a separate bowl]. Combine the olive oil and lemon juice, and stir in the onion mixture. Pour over the meat. Marinate overnight, preferably for 24 hours.
Put the cubes on skewers and grill over hot coals for about 10 minutes, turning once. The meat should still be pink inside.
Serve garnished with tomato wedges and scallions.
MY NOTES: This is so, so good. And easy. The only way you’ll ever need to make kabobs from now on.
Pamidvris Satsebela
(Tomato Sauce)
This sauce often accompanies basturma, grilled marinated meat. The prunes add a hint of sweetness, while the coriander adds depth.
Makes One Quart
- 1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 1/4 cup of corn oil
- 3 pound of ripe tomatoes, cut into eights
- 1/2 cup of pitted prunes
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons of paprika
- 2 1/4 teaspoons of ground coriander seed
- 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne
In a saucepan saute the onions and garlic in the oil until soft, then add tomatoes. Cook gently, covered, for 45 minutes, or until the tomatoes are soft. Put through a food mill or strainer, pressing hard on the solids.
Return the sauce to the pan and add the remaining ingredients. Simmer, covered for 10 minutes.
Serve hot or at room temperature. The sauce will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. Reheat to serve. If placed in a sealed jar the sauce will last in the freezer for a long, long time.
MY NOTES: I cooked the hell out of this and it just kept getting better and better. I made it the day before, stored in a mason jar in the fridge, and then put it in a medium sauce pan on low heat about 30 minutes before dinner. Very tasty and much better the second day…
Basturma and Tomato Sauce
(image by The Global Reader)
Chirbuli
(Cauliflower with Egg)
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1 small (1 pound) cauliflower, separated into florets
- 2 small onions, peeled and finely chopped
- 8 tablespoons or one stick of butter
- 1/ 4 cup of minced parsley
- 2 tablespoons of minced cilantro
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- Salt
- Freshly ground pepper
Steam the cauliflower over boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain.
Meanwhile, in a large frying pan saute onions until golden in 4 tablespoons of butter. Add the remaining butter and stir in the cauliflower, turning the florets to coat them with butter. Cook, covered, for 10 minutes, until tender.
Stir in parsley, cilantro and eggs. Toss to coat, cooking only until the eggs are done. Season to taste.
MY NOTES: You could have this and a salad for dinner and be very happy.
Green Beans with Yogurt (Mtsvane Lobios Borani)
Serves 4 to 6.
Ingredients
- 1 pound green beans, trimmed
- 1 onion, peeled and minced
- 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch of ground cloves
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 small garlic clove, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 1/4 cup ice water
- 1/2 cup chopped mixed fresh herbs (basil, tarragon, cilantro, parsley, dill, summer savory)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint (optional)
In a large pot of boiling water, parboil the beans for 4 to 5 minutes, until crisp-tender. Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, saute the onion in 4 tablespoons of butter until soft.
Drain the beans and chop coarsely (each bean should be in 2 to 3 pieces). Add the beans to the onion along with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in the cinnamon, cloves and pepper. Cook, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes, until the beans are very soft.
In a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic with salt to a paste. Whip the yogurt with the ice water and add it to the pounded garlic.
Stir the fresh herbs into the beans and cook for 1 minute more, then turn out onto a plate. Pour the yogurt over the beans and garnish with fresh mint, if desired.
MY NOTES: My personal favorite dish of the meal. I could eat this everyday. In fact, I want it right now. For the mixed herbs, I used basil, parsley and cilantro.
Georgian Veggies
(image by The Global Reader)
Khachapuri, version I
(Georgian Cheese Bread)
Khachapuri, or Georgian cheese bread is one of the most delightful of all Caucasian specialties. It is made in many shapes and sizes, but the large loaf and small diamonds-shaped tartlets, shown above, are by far the most popular. Slices of bread make unusual brunch or teatime treats; the smaller versions go well as accompaniments for cocktails or soups, or as part of an informal buffet.
No feast would seem proper without the marvelous cheese bread khachapuri. Khachapuri is found throughout Georgia in many forms—–round, rectangular and boat-shaped. The dough can be yeasty with a thick layer of crust, many-layered and flaky, or tender and cakelike. The bread is usually filled with a fresh, slightly sour cheese like imeruli or suluguni, but salted cheeses like bryndza may also be uses,, as long as they are soaked first. The cheese is grated and mixed with eggs to bind, with butter added if it is not creamy enough. The filling is then either completely enclosed in dough or served in an open faced pie.
Although Georgians are not accustomed to eating out frequently, even the smallest towns have hole-in-the-wall cafes where piping hot khachapuri may be consumed on the spot or taken out. On Tbilisi’s main thoroughfare a line often stretches up steep steps and out into the street from a cellar cafe specializing in khachapuri. My favorite version of this cholesterol-rich khachapuri is the Adzharuli Khachapuri or Adzharian cheese bread, found in Batumi on the Black Sea coast and appropriately boat-shaped.
Serves 12 to 15
This one is rich and flaky.
- 2 cups of unbleached white flour
- 1/ 2 teaspoon of salt
- 12 tablespoons or 1 1/ 2 sticks of cold butter, cut in pieces
- 2 eggs
- 1/ 4 cup of plain yogurt
- 1 1/ 4 pounds of mixed Muenster and Havarti cheeses
- egg yolk, beaten
Put the flour and salt in a medium bowl and cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Beat 1 egg and stir in the yogurt, then add to the flour mixture. Form into a ball and chill for 1 hour.
Grate the cheeses coarsely, beat the other egg, and stir it into the cheese. Set aside.
Preheat the oven 350°F. Grease a large baking sheet. On a floured board roll the dough to a rectangle about 12 x 17 inches. Trim the edges. Spread the cheese mixture on half the dough and then fold the other half over to enclose it, sealing and crimping the edges.
Transfer the bread to the baking sheet and brush with beaten egg yolk. Bake for 50 minutes or until browned. The bread is best served slightly warm, cut into small squares.
Khachapuri. A failed, yet still very tasty, attempt.
(image by The Global Reader)
MY NOTES: This is not as easy as it might sound. I’m pretty sure that I messed it up royally – the dough was not right somehow – but it still turned out to be delicious. I’ll be practicing this recipe for awhile. It’s worth doing right!
Lemon Tea Cake (Limnis Namtskhvari)
Serves 8
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup confectioners sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 2 cups unbleached white flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Grated rind of large lemon
- 4 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees.
Cream together the butter and confectioner’s sugar
In a seperate bowl, beat the eggs lightly; stir in the yogurt. Add this mixture to the creamed butter and sugar and beat with a whisk or in a mixer until light.
Sift the flour, baking soda and salt into the batter. Stir in the grated lemon rind and juice. Turn the batter into an ungreased 7 x 11 inch pan.
Smooth the top of the batter and bake for 35 minutes, until golden. Allow the cake to cool in the pan. Fresh strawberries or raspberries lightly sweetened with sugar embellish this cake nicely.
MY NOTES: Lovely. Lovely. Lovely. The batter seemed like a mistake, but I trusted in the process and rightly so. I did not have the pan size indicated, so I just used a large loaf pan and it was perfect. Keeps incredibly well wrapped up tightly at room temperature. I’ll be making this often.
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