Chicken Tabaka - Tsitsila Tabaka

Learn the secret of making the famous chicken tabaka- a big classic of Georgian cuisine. One of the best-loved ways to make chicken in Georgia is to split and flattened a whole chicken, then cooked in a heavy skillet under a weight. This technique makes the chicken tender and juicy inside and crisp and crusty outside.

Tsitsila means “chicken” in Georgian, and tabak means “tobacco” in Russian. So how was a Georgian chicken dish named after tobacco? It is thought that originally the dish derived its name from the Georgian word tapha which means “skillet,” and somehow a voiced letter “b” replaced a voiceless letter “p.” It was a favorite classic Georgian dish in the Soviet Union, which was served in many restaurants across the country.

Georgians typically use a ketsi or clay skillet for this dish, and the chickens would be young free-range broilers that weigh less than 2 pounds. Chickens that size can be difficult to find, so look for birds that weigh less that 3 pounds. Chicken tabaka is commonly served with a garlic sauce or Sour Plum Sauce. Georgians typically enjoy the chicken without accompaniment, but Pan-Fried Crispy Potatoes and a salad would be nice on the plate.

You will need a cast iron skillet and a weight, such as a large marble or stone mortar or a brick wrapped in aluminum foil.

Ingredients for Chicken Tabaka (Tsitsila Tabaka)
Serves 2 to 4
1 whole young chicken (3 pounds or less)
2-3 teaspoons coarse salt
½ teaspoon hot red ground pepper or cayenne, or more
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Cooking with Tamada’s Table will bring the finest recipes, seasonal dishes and authentic tastes of Georgian cuisine to your table. You will cook and learn from a Georgian who understands the perspectives and tastes of the cuisine, while advising on how to source specialty spices.

Georgian cuisine is unique. Fresh herbs – cilantro, tarragon, mint, summer savory, celery – will move into your kitchen and brighten your life and table, providing enormous health benefits as well. Ground walnuts are used in many dishes, instead of oil, and you can even cook meat without adding any fat. There are lots of vegan dishes, including a range of cold vegetable dishes (pkhali) with walnuts, fresh herbs and exotic spices from the Silk Road.

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