Chicken and Walnut Stew

This is great winter food. It hails from the Republic of Georgia, a place I may or may not have known existed until I tried the recipes.

​There's a lot to get excited about. They make a strain of yogurt, matsoni, that can be cultured at room temperature. (!) They use loads and loads of walnuts to thicken their food, and they use subtle, unique spice combinations. I've used lots of coriander, cinnamon, and cilantro, but never like this. It was my first time using powdered fenugreek, and like the dried leaves, it imparts a mellow sweetness that is unbeatable in soups and stews. This particular stew I have made many times, and while no one ever jumped at the sight of it, everyone loves it. For your sake I hope you are not allergic to walnuts. 

If you try this and fall in love like I did, I recommend taking a look at Georgianrecipes.net, which has an amazing collection of home recipes. It's fun to look through. The chicken and walnut stew recipe I post here was adapted from Saveur. While it may not be as traditional as I'd hoped (based on what I read in Darra Goldstein's The Georgian Feast), this is a really simple version that can be made quickly for dinner. According to Goldstein, satsivi is usually made with the whole bird on the bone, made with ground marigold petals, and served at room temperature.

​If by summer I have grown marigolds, I'll let you know how that version turns out. 

Ingredients:
3 cups walnuts
5 cups chicken stock
3/4 cup cilantro
1 onion, chopped
10 cloves of garlic, chopped
3 pounds of skinless, boneless chicken thighs seasoned with salt and pepper
​olive oil for browning the chicken
3 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon hot paprika
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground fenugreek
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Begin by making the walnut sauce.

​Blend 3 cups of walnuts and 1/2 cup chicken stock in a food processor.

Add 3/4 cup cilantro, 1/2 the onion, and 1/2 the garlic and puree again. Set it aside. 

In a big pot, brown the seasoned chicken in a little bit of olive oil. Add the rest of the chopped garlic and onion, and then stir in the spices (paprikas, coriander, fenugreek, and cinnamon). 

Stir well, then add in the reserved walnut sauce and remaining 4-1/2 cups of chicken stock. Bring it to a boil, then simmer for another half hour or so. 

To add the eggs, ladle out a cup of the broth. Stir in the two egg yolks, and then return it to the soup pot.

Stir in the 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar, and season it all to taste with salt and pepper. 

If you like you can garnish the stew with chopped walnuts and cilantro. 

I've eaten this as a stew with bread, or served it over basmati rice because I like everything over rice. I hope you enjoy this.