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Chicken Tapaka (Tabaka)

A very famous Georgian dish, chicken tapaka, some call it chicken tabaka, but the essence of the dish remains the same. The recipe is not difficult, the main thing is to take a chicken weighing 500-700 g, with a hen this trick will not work. In Georgia, they cook chicken in a special tapa skillet, with a hefty flat lid, and the dish is called "tsitsila tapaka". I recently acquired such a skillet in my household (thanks to friends), so of course, I am sharing the chicken tapaka recipe with you. If you don't have such a skillet, feel free to use a regular one, and instead of a weight, a regular pot with water will do. Place the chicken on top, a plate, and then put a pot on top of it, so it will stay clean.

Chicken

1.1-1.5 lb

Lemon

1/2 pc (juice)

Ground black pepper

1 tsp

Salt

to taste

Hot pepper

1/2 pc

Garlic

3-4 cloves

Vegetable oil

1/4-1/3 cup

Butter

2 tbsp

To prepare chicken tapaka, prepare the carcass, wash and pat dry with paper towels.

Then cut the chicken along between the breasts. Remove if any, the lungs and heart, rinse with water, and dry well again.

Now we need to flatten the chicken with the smooth side of a cleaver, break its joints (as sad as it may sound), our task is to make the carcass flat and approximately the same thickness, so the chicken will cook evenly.

Prepare a light marinade. Mix approximately 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon of black pepper, and the juice of half a lemon. Put the chicken in a bowl, season with salt to taste, and pour the marinade over it on all sides. Leave to marinate in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours, or preferably overnight.

Now let's make a dressing that we will need at the end of frying. In a blender, combine sliced chili peppers, 2-3 tablespoons of vegetable oil, and garlic. Blend everything to make a super aromatic emulsion.

Next, take a skillet, place it over medium heat, add a little vegetable oil and butter. Wait until the skillet and oil are hot, and place the chicken skin side down, don't forget about the weight, it's important!

Fry until golden brown, this took me 15 minutes. Everyone's stoves are different, so adjust the heat based on color and keep the heat moderate. Flip the chicken to the other side and fry for the same amount of time.

Flip again skin side down and brown for another 1-2 minutes. Take the prepared aromatic emulsion and spread half of it over the chicken, warm it up slightly for about half a minute, then flip the chicken, spread the remaining emulsion, another half a minute, and our chicken tapaka is ready! Serve the chicken with greens and sauce of your choice.

Do not overcook the chicken, the garlic may start to burn and give an unpleasant taste, the garlic and peppers should just warm up and release their aroma!

(5/5)