Chakhokhbili with Chicken

Cut the chicken into serving pieces at the joints (I ended up with 12 pieces).

Peel the onion and slice it into thin half-rings.

Pour boiling water over the tomatoes and let them sit for 2–3 minutes.

Score them in a cross, peel off the skins, and cut into small cubes.

Place half the chicken in a dry skillet and sear on both sides until opaque and lightly browned. Do the same with the second half of the chicken. Transfer the seared chicken immediately to a large heavy-bottomed pot.

Melt the butter in the skillet, add the onion, and cook for 10–15 minutes until soft and translucent. Transfer the cooked onion to the pot with the chicken.

Add the tomatoes and tomato paste to the skillet and braise covered for 5–10 minutes. Transfer the braised tomatoes along with their liquid to the pot.

Place the pot with the chicken, onion, and tomatoes over the heat.

Stir everything together thoroughly and braise over low heat, covered, for 20 minutes. Do not add water — the chicken should cook only in the tomato juice. If there is very little liquid, you can add up to a third of a cup of water as a last resort.

Add the finely chopped cilantro and khmeli-suneli (Georgian spice blend) to the pot. Season with salt and add the garlic pressed through a garlic press. Stir and braise for another 20 minutes.

This is what the finished chakhokhbili with chicken looks like — by the end of cooking, the amount of sauce in the pot has increased significantly.

Serve the chakhokhbili in a deep bowl with plenty of the sauce it cooked in. If you like, you can also serve it with a side dish. But I simply enjoyed it with white bread for dipping into the sauce — absolutely delicious.