Post by gracoman on Mar 12, 2019 20:48:03 GMT -5
I've become quite enamored with the food and culture of Georgia.
No, not that Georgia....
This Georgia

It is an ancient culture and one of great importance because it stands at the crossroads of the silk road and spice trade routes. It is boundaried to the north and south by mountains, to the West by the Black sea, and to the East by the Caspian Sea. It's importance is highlighted by the huge number of foreign occupations it has suffered through the millennia. And I mean millennia. Georgians like to say wine was invented there and current archeological evidence supports this.
Despite the many occupations, Georgia has preserved it's culture through it's food ways. A case can be made that all cuisines are fusions of a sort. Georgian cuisine has some elements of this but if ever there was a unique cuisine, Georgian is it.
I've been gathering strange and wonderful ingredients. Sauces, herbs, spices and spice mixes. Some only grown in Georgia. Let's get to work.

The clay pot is a dedicated yogurt pot. Clay has 3 advantages when making yogurt at home. It is porous an allows moisture to evaporate making for a thicker end product. If you further dedicate a clay pot by using only one culture, that living culture will embed itself in the porous clay and culture other batches without a starter. Finally, clay pot yogurt just plain tastes better.
This pot is for Georgian Matsoni yogurt. Pronounced matzoon, matsoni is a mesophilic culture which cultures at 70-78ºF so no yogurt maker required. It is also an heirloom culture so we can use a small amount of our last batch as a starter for the next batch. 1 tsp finished yogurt to 1 cup whole pasteurized milk does it. A max of 2 qts can be cultured at one time.
My Matsoni culture arrived as part of a 4 part heirloom culture set but I'm only interested in the Matsoni.

Almost forgot this extremely important ingredient

Check this logo

First Matsoni yogurt culture finished in my bread proofer. We have had below freezing temps so I set the proofer at 76ºF for insurance.

My first Georgian dish got a late start and I was a little disorganized. I had planned on cooking this on my grill but below freezing temps and snow changed my mind. Also, I didn't make ajika, didn't make the Gomi ("polenta and cheese" accompaniment ) and forgot the Tkemeli. All work and no play make gracoman a dull boy.
Sakonlis Khorzis Kharcho (Spiced Beef And Walnut Stew) is a classic Georgian dish. Most kharcho I've seen are soups but this recipe, taken from 'Supra", makes a stew. Walnuts and egg yolks are added to the sauce making it especially rich. The author describes this dish as Georgia on a plate which is why I began here.
The beginning of a heavily spiced walnut sauce is walnut butter made in my food processor. Spices include Georgian saffron which is really the dried leaves of French marigold, Georgian Blue Fenugreek, Red Ajika (spiced chili relish) and ground coriander

Spiced Beef And Walnut Stew simmering in an unglazed clay pot. Pic was taken after the heavily spiced walnut butter was added.

Plated over rice (yeah, I forgot to make the gomi)

Dusted with cayenne

Some of the finest beef stew I've ever had the pleasure of sitting down to.
No, not that Georgia....
This Georgia

It is an ancient culture and one of great importance because it stands at the crossroads of the silk road and spice trade routes. It is boundaried to the north and south by mountains, to the West by the Black sea, and to the East by the Caspian Sea. It's importance is highlighted by the huge number of foreign occupations it has suffered through the millennia. And I mean millennia. Georgians like to say wine was invented there and current archeological evidence supports this.
Despite the many occupations, Georgia has preserved it's culture through it's food ways. A case can be made that all cuisines are fusions of a sort. Georgian cuisine has some elements of this but if ever there was a unique cuisine, Georgian is it.
I've been gathering strange and wonderful ingredients. Sauces, herbs, spices and spice mixes. Some only grown in Georgia. Let's get to work.

The clay pot is a dedicated yogurt pot. Clay has 3 advantages when making yogurt at home. It is porous an allows moisture to evaporate making for a thicker end product. If you further dedicate a clay pot by using only one culture, that living culture will embed itself in the porous clay and culture other batches without a starter. Finally, clay pot yogurt just plain tastes better.
This pot is for Georgian Matsoni yogurt. Pronounced matzoon, matsoni is a mesophilic culture which cultures at 70-78ºF so no yogurt maker required. It is also an heirloom culture so we can use a small amount of our last batch as a starter for the next batch. 1 tsp finished yogurt to 1 cup whole pasteurized milk does it. A max of 2 qts can be cultured at one time.
My Matsoni culture arrived as part of a 4 part heirloom culture set but I'm only interested in the Matsoni.

Almost forgot this extremely important ingredient

Check this logo

First Matsoni yogurt culture finished in my bread proofer. We have had below freezing temps so I set the proofer at 76ºF for insurance.

My first Georgian dish got a late start and I was a little disorganized. I had planned on cooking this on my grill but below freezing temps and snow changed my mind. Also, I didn't make ajika, didn't make the Gomi ("polenta and cheese" accompaniment ) and forgot the Tkemeli. All work and no play make gracoman a dull boy.
Sakonlis Khorzis Kharcho (Spiced Beef And Walnut Stew) is a classic Georgian dish. Most kharcho I've seen are soups but this recipe, taken from 'Supra", makes a stew. Walnuts and egg yolks are added to the sauce making it especially rich. The author describes this dish as Georgia on a plate which is why I began here.
The beginning of a heavily spiced walnut sauce is walnut butter made in my food processor. Spices include Georgian saffron which is really the dried leaves of French marigold, Georgian Blue Fenugreek, Red Ajika (spiced chili relish) and ground coriander

Spiced Beef And Walnut Stew simmering in an unglazed clay pot. Pic was taken after the heavily spiced walnut butter was added.

Plated over rice (yeah, I forgot to make the gomi)

Dusted with cayenne

Some of the finest beef stew I've ever had the pleasure of sitting down to.