Georgian Chkmeruli: 30-Minute Garlic Cream Chicken Skillet for Busy Weeknights

Pat the chicken thighs completely dry with paper towels and season all over with the salt, pepper, and ground coriander.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 1.4 kg)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 10 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 teaspoon ground fenugreek (blue fenugreek if you can find it)
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Crusty bread or rice, to serve

Instructions

1. Pat the chicken thighs completely dry with paper towels and season all over with the salt, pepper, and ground coriander.
2. Heat the oil in a large cast-iron or heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Lay the thighs in skin side down and press with a spatula for the first minute so the skin makes full contact. Sear undisturbed for 7 to 8 minutes until deeply golden and crisp.
3. Flip the chicken and cook 5 minutes more on the second side. Transfer to a plate; the chicken will finish cooking in the sauce.
4. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the skillet. Lower the heat to medium, add the butter, and once it foams, stir in the minced garlic. Cook 60 to 90 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant and just barely golden, not brown.
5. Pour in the cream and milk, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the fenugreek and cayenne and bring to a gentle simmer.
6. Return the chicken to the skillet skin side up, nestling the pieces into the sauce but keeping the skin above the surface so it stays crisp. Simmer uncovered 10 to 12 minutes until the chicken registers 74°C at the bone and the sauce has thickened enough to coat a spoon.
7. Taste the sauce and add more salt if needed. Scatter over the chopped cilantro.
8. Serve straight from the skillet with plenty of bread for mopping up the garlic cream, or spoon over steamed rice for a lunchbox-friendly version the next day.
9. Chkmeruli comes from the mountain village of Chkmeri in Georgia's Racha region, where a whole spatchcocked chicken is pressed flat under a weight in a clay pan called a ketsi, then drowned in a sauce of milk and an almost reckless amount of garlic. It is one of the great examples of how Georgian cooking builds enormous flavor from very few ingredients. This weeknight version swaps the whole bird for thighs, which crisp faster and stay juicy, but keeps the soul of the dish intact: crackling skin, a garlicky cream that clings to everything, and a bowl of bread that always ends up empty.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 640 kcal
• Protein: 42g
• Fat: 50g
• Carbohydrates: 6g
• Fiber: 0g
• Sugar: 3g
• Sodium: 980mg