Lamb Chakapuli with Plums

We buy a whole gutted lamb at the market. Young lambs are not very big, weighing about five kilograms. We cut the meat with bones into small pieces, the size of two matchboxes. You can ask at the market to chop the lamb for chakapuli.

We place the meat in a large, preferably cast iron pot. We pour in half a bottle of wine to cover the meat. We cover the pot with a lid and simmer the meat on low heat for about forty minutes, up to an hour at most, depending on the age and tenderness of the lamb.

Meanwhile, finely chop the hot pepper and herbs, with a mountain of herbs equal in volume to the meat. There should be the most tarragon. If there is no tarragon, it's not worth making chakapuli. Chakapuli is a spring dish, usually prepared after Easter when the first greens appear. Early greens have soft stems and can be cut whole into chakapuli. You can also add young garlic and green onions. If you are making chakapuli in winter, only use tarragon leaves and other greens without stems, and use canned tkemali plums. Such tkemali is sold in its own juice and tastes like unsweetened compote. It's important that they are green and sour.

Add chopped greens and a glass of plums to the meat and simmer for another forty minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt. When the dish is ready, the meat should melt in your mouth, and the herbs should dissolve into a thick ruby-green broth. If the wine evaporates, don't hesitate to add more; you can't ruin chakapuli with wine, you can even pour in a whole bottle.

There is another simpler way to cook chakapuli. We put a layer of meat in the pot, sprinkle a layer of greens on top, then another layer of meat and another layer of greens — until both are finished. We pour wine over everything, cover with a lid, and simmer on low heat for one and a half to two hours. That's it. No need to stir, just add wine if it evaporates. But we still prefer the first, more labor-intensive method, although chakapuli turns out tasty either way.

We transfer chakapuli to a large soup bowl and serve it in bowls. This dish is for a feast. It must be washed down with wine. Not only do we drink it, but we also eat it with chakapuli.