Driving to Haifa from Tel Aviv on an empty stomach was good advice from Roni, granddaughter of Ester. She knew her grandmother, in true Georgian style, would put on a lavish feast. Ester lives in a block of apartments, her flat neighbouring her family’s own home. Just two front doors separate her from her son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren, so while we cooked, the entire family would pop in and out to grab various bits from the kitchen or just to get a glimpse of their granny in action.
We usually ask for one dish from each grandmother but Ester was one of the ladies that went overboard on her food prep. We whizzed around after her, trying to measure flour as she ‘felt’ the amount she’d need to make Khachapuri, a traditional Georgian cheese bread (so indulgent and delicious). We handled animal intestines as she expertly stuffed them with aromatically spiced meat for perhaps the biggest sausage we have ever had the pleasure of holding. We watched as she blitzed the most obscene amount of garlic into a paste for a chicken dish that is definitely best reserved for any night but date night.
Lunch was served next door, with the rest of the family, where we took up residence at an enormous banqueting style table, ten of us sharing from enormous platters placed across its length. A rowdy, playful and laughter-filled lunch that saw grandchildren tease grandma, laugh at her stories and at times, become unexpectedly quiet to catch an anecdote they hadn’t yet been privy to hearing.
Satcivi (chicken with walnut sauce and polenta)
Feeds 4-6
Takes 50 minutes
Ingredients
6 chicken thighs
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
600ml chicken or vegetable stock
300g quick polenta
For the walnut sauce
1 small white onion, diced
1 tsp rapeseed oil
400g walnuts
4 cloves garlic
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp salt
1 tsp white pepper
Method
Preheat oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas 7. Place the chicken in a baking tray and drizzle with the oil and season, rubbing all over to coat.
Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, or until cooked through and golden on top. Remove and set aside.
Next pour the stock into a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the polenta in a thin stream, stirring continuously until it thickens, about 2-3 mins.
Take off the heat, cover with a lid and leave the polenta to swell and absorb more of the stock.
Now make the walnut sauce: fry the onion in a little oil for 7 minutes until softened and golden at the edges. Set aside.
Blitz the walnuts and garlic in a blender until they form a wet paste. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the curry powder, chilli, salt and pepper.
Wet your hand and squeeze and massage the walnuts for about 10 minutes. They’ll become smoother as you manipulate them. Some oil may begin to show - if it does, drain it off and save to drizzle over the final dish.
Add the walnut mix back into the blender with the onion and turn on. Slowly add water until it’s a liquidy consistency, a bit thicker than double cream – about 400ml, but you may need a bit more.
Put the sauce in a pan, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir the chicken thighs into the sauce with all the chicken juices (really scrape the tray to get all the cooking juices in). Cook for 15 minutes and test the seasoning.
Serve with the polenta and a veg of your choice.
Tip: for added flavour, use 400ml chicken or vegetable stock instead of water when you add the walnuts back to the blender.
