Chicken Tabaka with Melted Butter
4 servings
30 minutes
The most important thing for chicken tabaka is to find a good weight to flatten it with. A brick, a pot of water, or a pot with a brick will do.
1
We take a gutted young chicken and make a cut along the belly to flatten it. We salt and pepper both sides. In Georgia, the chicken is fried either on a ketsi or on a grill over an open fire, but any sufficiently wide, thick-bottomed pan will do.
- Chick: 1 piece
- Sea salt: to taste
- Ground black pepper: to taste
2
Heat oil in a pan. If there's no clarified butter, you can use regular butter and add a little sunflower oil. However, clarified butter is considered better for frying. In Georgia, clarified butter is found in every home.
- Melted butter: 2 tablespoons
3
Place the chicken in the pan and press it down so it fits snugly against the bottom. Fry on medium heat for 15-20 minutes until golden brown, then flip and continue frying for another 15-20 minutes. To check if the chicken is done, pierce it with a knife or fork - if clear juice runs out, it's ready. It's very important not to overcook it, or the chicken will turn out dry like chips.
- Chick: 1 piece
4
Tabaka chicken is usually eaten with garlic. However, a major mistake of novice cooks is rubbing the chicken with garlic before frying, resulting in a bitter taste. It's better to pour garlic water over the cooked chicken. A wonderful reaction occurs, making it very tasty. Alternatively, you can simply rub the cooked chicken with crushed garlic. The Imeretian version is to serve the chicken with pureed blackberry mixed with cilantro and crushed garlic. Unripe grapes can also be added. Tabaka chicken is also eaten with baji or tkemali. Of course, it's eaten by hand.
- Garlic: 1 head