Chicken with Georgian Walnut Sauce (Satsivi)
Not your usual chicken sauce, ground walnuts are mixed with caramelized onion and warm spices for a rich and robust meal. Finish with a bit of vinegar and fresh cilantro to brighten everything up.
Servings 3
Calories 504kcal
Ingredients
- 1/2 onion
- 1 jalapeño optional, seeds removed if you want less heat, omit for nightshade-free
- 4 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 2/3 cup walnut pieces
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika omit for nightshade-free
- 1/8 teaspoon ground fenugreek optional
- 1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar or more, to taste
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken thighs boneless, skinless
- 1/4 cup cilantro minced
Instructions
- Combine the onion, jalapeño, and garlic in a small blender and process until smooth.
- Add the oil to a saucepan and heat over medium heat. Add pureed onion and pepper and cook until soft and beginning to caramelize, about 10 minutes.
- In the now empty blender, add the walnuts and spices and puree until smooth. Add this to the onion mixture and cook until nutty and fragrant smelling, another 10 minutes. Add the stock and vinegar, stirring until well combined.
- Add the chicken to the pan and nestle it into the sauce. Cover and cook at a low simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes for chicken thighs. Remove the thighs and let rest 5 minutes. Bring the sauce back to a boil and reduce to whatever consistency you desire. Chop the chicken into bite size pieces. Add the chicken back into the sauce and stir in the cilantro. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
You can also use pre-cooked chicken breast and simply stir it into the reduced sauce, if you like. Or use skin on chicken thighs and cook them separately from the sauce. To do so: heat oven to 450ºF and place a rimmed baking sheet in the oven to get it hot. While the oven pre-heats, prick the chicken skin with a knife all over, coat the skin with oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the chicken skin side down on the preheated baking sheet and return the chicken to the oven and cook for 25 minutes. Flip chicken over so the skin is facing up. Turn on the oven's broiler and broil for another 5 minutes, or until the skin is golden brown.
Nutrition
Calories: 504kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 215mg | Sodium: 492mg | Potassium: 776mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 359IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 3mg