Satsivi (Georgian poached chicken in cold walnut sauce)

Poached chicken blanketed in a spiced Georgian walnut sauce, served cold

Origin: Tbilisi and Western Georgia

From the journey of Walnut.

Satsivi is the centrepiece of the Georgian feast table; a dish of such cultural weight that a suprani (Georgian feast) without it is nearly unimaginable. The word comes from the Georgian root meaning 'cold' (tsivi), and the dish is always eaten at room temperature or slightly cool, which is what distinguishes it from the Circassian walnut sauce served in Turkey: in Georgia, the overnight resting that allows the sauce to set and the flavours to deepen is not optional but essential. The sauce; ground walnuts seasoned with fenugreek, coriander, garlic, imereti saffron (dried Calendula marigold petals, which give the sauce its amber colour), and white wine vinegar; is one of the most complex in the Georgian repertoire. It thickens to a consistency like cold gravy as the walnut fat sets, then loosens slightly as it comes to room temperature. The spice palette is unmistakably Georgian: fenugreek (utskho suneli) and imereti saffron have no close equivalent in any other national cuisine and give satsivi a warm, resinous, slightly floral character that is entirely its own. The dish is traditionally made for Christmas and New Year (Georgian Orthodox Christmas falls on 7 January), and large quantities are prepared days in advance; it keeps well under refrigeration and only improves with time. Satsivi is also made with turkey, and turkey satsivi has largely displaced chicken in the western Georgian tradition, but chicken remains the default in the east.

Ingredients

Chicken

  • 1.5 kg whole chicken

Poaching

  • 1 onion, halved
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp black peppercorns

Walnut sauce

  • 350 g walnut halves
  • 1 medium onion, finely diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed to a paste
  • 2 tbsp butter or neutral oil
  • 1.5 tsp ground fenugreek (utskho suneli)
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 0.5 tsp ground turmeric
  • 0.25 tsp ground cloves
  • 0.25 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp dried imereti saffron (or a pinch of saffron steeped in 1 tbsp hot water)
  • 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
  • 0.25 tsp cayenne pepper or mild chilli powder

Garnish

  • 3 tbsp fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped
  • 1 tbsp pomegranate seeds (optional)

Method

  1. Place the chicken in a deep pot with the halved onion, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Cover with cold water, bring to a boil, and skim. Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 50–55 minutes. Remove the chicken and rest until handleable. Reserve the broth and keep it hot.
  2. Grind the walnut halves in a food processor until very fine; almost like sand. Be careful not to over-process into paste at this stage; you want finely ground, not oily.
  3. Sauté the diced onion in butter in a wide pan over medium heat until fully softened and barely golden, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and all the spices and cook for 1 minute more, stirring.
  4. Remove the onion-spice mixture from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Combine with the ground walnuts. Add the vinegar and salt and mix well. Gradually stir in the hot chicken broth, about 60ml at a time, until the sauce reaches a consistency similar to heavy cream; it should pour freely but coat the back of a spoon.
  5. Taste and adjust salt and vinegar. The sauce should be aromatic, slightly tangy, and gently warm from the spices.
  6. Remove the skin and bones from the chicken and cut or pull the meat into large pieces (not shredded). Arrange on a deep serving platter or in a baking dish. Pour the warm walnut sauce over the chicken, ensuring all pieces are thoroughly coated.
  7. Allow to cool to room temperature (at least 1 hour), then cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight. Serve at room temperature, not cold, scattered with fresh coriander and, if using, pomegranate seeds.

Notes

Satsivi keeps, refrigerated, for up to 3 days and improves throughout. If the sauce has thickened too much on resting, stir in a tablespoon of warm water or broth before serving. Imereti saffron (dried marigold petals, also called calendula or pot marigold) is available at Georgian and Middle Eastern food shops. It gives a distinctive golden colour and faintly floral note that is genuinely irreplaceable.

The Gastrographer

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