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Meat, Maghreb and Middle East

Chkmeruli with sautéed potatoes

Chkmeruli is a Georgian chicken dish, pan seared then simmered in a garlicky cream sauce, served here with sautéed potatoes. This version serves 4, takes 55 minutes, and is rated easy, for about €3.20 per person. The trick is letting the garlic infuse gently in the hot sauce instead of letting it brown and turn bitter.

A golden chicken straight from the Caucasus, drowned in a garlicky cream sauce, with crispy sautéed potatoes on the side, sound good?

Chkmeruli with sautéed potatoes
Total time
55 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€3.20
Calories per person
620 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Chkmeruli starts with the smell of garlic filling the kitchen while the chicken turns golden in butter. The sauce, made from milk and cream reduced with crushed garlic, turns silky and fragrant without ever tasting sharp, because the garlic cooks low and slow instead of being seared. The sautéed potatoes on the side bring the crunch this otherwise soft, rich dish would be missing.

This is a Sunday dinner dish, or one for when you have guests, since the sauce needs a bit of attention and the result looks impressive without any real technical skill. Kids generally love the crispy chicken and creamy sauce, as long as you go easy on the garlic for them. Mon Chou built this simplified version for home cooks, not for a Georgian restaurant kitchen.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Free range chicken, cut into pieces 1.4 kg

Fruits and vegetables

  • Garlic 8 cloves
  • Waxy potatoes 800 g
  • Fresh cilantro 1 bunch

Dairy

  • Heavy cream 20 cl
  • Whole milk 20 cl
  • Butter 40 g

Pantry

  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Allergens Lactose

The step by step recipe

  1. Season the chicken pieces with salt and brown them skin side down in a large skillet with the butter, then flip them over. 15 min

    Press down on them with the bottom of a saucepan so the skin crisps evenly all over.

  2. Pour the milk and cream over the chicken, add the crushed garlic, and let it simmer covered. 20 min

    Stir the sauce gently, the milk can split if the heat is too high.

  3. Meanwhile, peel the potatoes, cut them into cubes, and sauté them in the oil over high heat. 20 min

    Don't stir too often, they need to form a golden crust before you flip them.

  4. Reduce the sauce uncovered until it coats the back of a spoon, then adjust the salt and pepper.

    Mash one or two of the cooked garlic cloves into the sauce, it becomes even creamier.

  5. Plate the chicken topped with sauce alongside the potatoes and a bit of chopped cilantro.

    A few drops of lemon juice at the end brighten up this rich sauce.

Our tips to get it right

  • Use a wide skillet so every chicken piece touches the bottom, otherwise the skin browns unevenly.
  • Let the cream and milk sit out for a few minutes before using them, since a sharp temperature shock can make the sauce split.
  • Cut the potatoes into evenly sized cubes so they all cook at the same pace and brown evenly.

The variations

  • Swap the whole chicken pieces for boneless chicken thighs, they stay juicy and cook a bit faster.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the chicken with roasted cauliflower steaks and spoon the same garlic sauce over them.
  • For kids, cut the garlic down to 4 cloves and only add the cilantro to the adults' plates.

What to serve it with

  • Flatbread for dipping
  • A sharply dressed green salad
  • Sparkling water with lemon

Storage

Chkmeruli keeps for 2 to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container. The milk and cream sauce doesn't freeze well, since it tends to split once thawed. Reheat it gently over low heat, stirring often, and add a splash of milk if the sauce has thickened too much.

Questions about this dish

Can you make chkmeruli ahead of time?

You can sear the chicken and cook the potatoes a few hours ahead. Finish the sauce at the last minute so it stays silky and fresh.

How do you keep the sauce from splitting?

Keep the heat low the whole time it simmers and reduces. Too high a heat makes the milk boil hard, which causes it to curdle.

Can you use a different cream?

Heavy cream works well for a thicker, more coating sauce. Skip light cream, since it tends to break more easily over heat.

Does the raw garlic taste too strong?

No, the garlic infuses slowly in the hot milk and loses its bite as it cooks gently. What's left is a round, fragrant flavor, not a harsh one.

How long does it take to make a chkmeruli with sautéed potatoes?

Count 55 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a chkmeruli with sautéed potatoes?

About 620 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a chkmeruli with sautéed potatoes cost?

About €3.20 per serving, or €12.80 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains lactose. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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