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Guruli is a Georgian chicken dish

Guruli — Georgian Braised Chicken

Tender chicken in a bold, savory sauce for gourmets. Guruli — chicken Gurian-style, from the Guria region of Georgia — is very simple to make, yet its flavor rivals the fanciest of dishes. Onion and walnuts, combined with spices and wine, cook down into a rich, savory sauce. The chicken braised in it turns out tender and fragrant.

Ropotushka

Recipe author

Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Chicken (any fatty chicken parts)

1.3

Onion

Red wine (or dry white)

Walnuts

0.5

Butter

Parsley

Dill

Cinnamon (ground)

Ground ginger

Cloves

Ground red pepper

0.5

Table salt

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 39 % 13 g

Fats 52 % 17 g

Carbohydrates 9 % 3 g

219 kcal

GI: 100 / 0 / 0

Cooking method

Step 1:

Gather all the ingredients. For guruli you want fatty pieces, so if you have a whole chicken, it's best to skip the breast — I used legs. If the chicken is frozen, thaw it ahead of time; better yet, unwrap it and set it in a container on the bottom shelf of the fridge a day before cooking. Use any dry wine. If your walnuts are still in the shell, use 6–8 of them.
Step 2:

Rinse the chicken under running water and remove any innards or leftover feathers. Cut it into pieces — I cut each leg into 3 parts. Pat the pieces dry with a paper towel so there's no moisture left and less spattering as you fry.
Step 3:

Peel, rinse, and cut the onion into half-rings.
Step 4:

For the guruli, use a heavy-bottomed pan with a tight lid — an 8-inch (20 cm) pan is plenty for this amount of chicken. Melt the butter in it: heat the dry pan over low heat, cut the butter into a few small pieces, and drop them in. Tilt and turn the pan until the butter is fully melted. Stir it with a spatula.
Step 5:

Add the chicken pieces to the pan. To brown them faster, turn the heat up to medium-high. Brown the pieces on both sides.
Step 6:

Wash and dry the herbs and remove the tough stems. You can add cilantro to the parsley and dill — it pairs really well with chicken too. Set aside a little of the herbs to garnish the finished dish. Chop the rest with a knife.
Step 7:

Shell the walnuts, remove the papery dividers, and chop them. You can do this with a knife or by covering them with paper and rolling over them with a rolling pin. No need to grind them to a powder — a few small pieces are fine.
Step 8:

Once the chicken is browned on both sides, add the sliced onion. Lower the heat to medium and season with a little salt.
Step 9:

Turning the chicken and onion, cook for about 5 minutes, until the onion is soft and golden.
Step 10:

Add the chopped herbs and walnuts to the pan.
Step 11:

Salt the chicken and add the spices. If you don't like it too hot, use less red pepper. Stir to distribute the salt and spices so all the pieces are evenly seasoned. Pour the wine over the chicken.
Step 12:

Lower the heat. Cover the pan so the chicken braises well and the wine reduces into a thick sauce. Simmer for about an hour over low heat. Your guruli — Georgian braised chicken — is ready.

The finished dish looks really appetizing. Serve it hot with lavash and fresh vegetables, garnished with herbs and pomegranate seeds. Next time I make guruli, I'll use half a cup of wine, since a full cup was a bit much for me.