A Couple of Georgian recipes…

…as promised! As I mentioned in my previous post, in my opinion, Georgian cuisine is one of the best/unknown cuisines in the world. Since my visit to Georgia in 1985, I have been fascinated with this ancient and unique culture. Just by way of a “pre-clarification” Georgia IS NOT Russia, it never was. Georgians ARE NOT Russians, they never were. The Georgian language IS NOT RELATED to Russian at all, and in fact, the only languages to which Gerogian IS related are all found within the borders of Georgia (it is part of the Kartvelian family of languages for those linguists in our midst).

One other note…The main difficulty in cooking Georgian food is locating all of the ingredients. There are some very hard-to-find ingredients that for those of you who live further from major metro areas may have trouble finding, and even those of you who do live in or near major cities may have trouble getting your hands on some of these items. When not specified, many of these spices, etc. can be obtained at a good Indian grocery…pomegranates are very seasonal (Sept. - Nov.), so to really get it all together, you may need to wait unti the fall to obtain the pomegranates.

So without further ado, here are a couple of my favorite Georgian recipes. The former dish would be served before the latter, but see my explanantion of Georgian eating patterns in the previous article. By the way, the picture above is a CLASSIC example of what a fully-laden Supra (formal Georgian feast) table looks like…if you’re ever invited to one, don’t eat AT ALL the day of the feast!

GEORGIAN STUFFED EGGPLANTS

4 “Japanese” eggplants (the long, skinny, purple and white ones)
1 heaping cup of shelled walnuts
1 large clove of garlic
1/4 cup of chopped cilantro
1/4 cup of chopped basil
1/4 cup of celery tops (leaves)
1 teaspoon of ground coriander seeds
1 teaspoon of fenugreek leaves, crumbled (called kasoor methi in Indian markets)
1 teaspoon of ground marigold petals (yes, marigold petals. It functions the same way as turmeric or saffron. Sold under name “calendula” in good health food stores)
1/2 teaspoon of hot Hungarian paprika
1 small pomegranate

- Slice the eggplants lengthwise. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive or sunflower oil in a skillet over medium heat.

- Place the eggplants, cut side down, in the pan and then cover. Cook for about 10-12 minutes (check them - the flesh should be browned, but obviously not burned) This method fries and steams the eggplants simultaneously. When done, remove from pan, and let cool. Do not overcook the eggplants - they should be soft, but still be able to hold their shape.

- Put the walnuts and the garlic clove into a food processor. Turn on the machine and let run until the walnuts begin to express their oil - you’re “there” when the mixture begins to turn into a brown paste. You probably will need to scrape down the bowl to assure that all of the walnuts have been pulverized.

- When the paste is obtained, and while the machine is still running, SLOWLY dribble in a thin stream of water. The paste will whiten and fluff up. Add enough water to obtain the consistency of a dense mayonnaise.

- Turn out the walnut paste into a glass bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients except the pomegranate, mix, salt to taste, and set aside.

- Take the now cooled eggplants, and with either your index finger or the round edge of the spoon, open a “trough” in the now very soft pulp of the cut side.

- Fill this “trough” with the paste. Now, cut up your pomegranate, and get together a decent handful of the seeds (no yellow pith please!) and stud the filled eggplants with a line of pomegrante seeds.

- Cover and let rest for a few hours. Serve at room temperature.

This second recipe comes from Gourmet Magazine. It is a very good recipe, and is also quite authentic. In fact, when I was invited to an acquaintance’s house for dinner in Tbilisi in 1985, this certain gentleman’s lovely wife made this dish (amongst many others). Please note the accompanying, linked “sub-recipes” and accompaniments that adjoin the main recipe - they really enhance the overall experience.

Georgian pork stew

And, just as a reminder, here are the Georgian wines that I linked to in the previous piece. If anyone makes the recipes, with or without the wines (hopefully with!) please give a little review!

REAL Georgian wines!

TOM CIOCCO