Pan-Cooked Kupaty (Georgian Sausages)

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   Kupaty are spicy Georgian raw sausages made from a mix of meats in a natural pork-casing skin. You can grill, boil, or fry them. To cook kupaty in a skillet, use fresh or frozen ones. Plain tap water is fine, and any refined, odorless vegetable oil will do.

2. Step 2:

   

   If your sausages are frozen, thaw them — take them out of the freezer about 6 hours ahead. If your kitchen is warm, thaw them in the refrigerator instead. Packaged kupaty are usually ready to cook. But if you bought them loose at a market or the packaging tore, gently rinse them under running water and pat dry. Carefully cut them apart, without nicking the casing, so you have individual links.

3. Step 3:

   

   You'll want a heavy-bottomed skillet with high sides, about 8 inches (20 cm) across — that way the kupaty cook evenly and won't dry out if you follow the recipe. Pour the water into the cold skillet and arrange the sausages in a single layer. If you use a larger pan, you'll need more water than listed — add enough so the kupaty sit halfway submerged.

4. Step 4:

   

   Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower to medium. Cook the kupaty for 4 minutes, flip them over, and continue until the water has almost entirely evaporated.

5. Step 5:

   

   Add the vegetable oil and fry for about 10 minutes more. Keep an eye on them so the sausages don't stick to the pan — otherwise the delicate casing can tear, the filling leaks out, and they're ruined. Prick the casing in a few spots with a toothpick so the kupaty don't burst.

6. Step 6:

   

   To brown them evenly all over, lower the heat to medium-low and turn them often. Once they're nicely golden, the kupaty are ready.