It would seem as if every country in the world that has an established drinking culture also has its token “hangover cure” touted by grandmothers and homoeopathic enthusiasts the world over that this will cure what ails you.
In Georgia, there are two such dishes: steamy khashi soup made with beef tripes or chikhirtma. The latter is the less adventurous to more Western palates and is a hearty and delicious soup to enjoy no matter the occasion — no hangover required!
Chikhirtma is so much more than a chicken soup in the traditional sense. Simple to make, it has an added creamy richness by incorporating egg yolks and a vibrant brightness due to the addition of fresh cilantro and a splash of vinegar.
It is comforting and an absolutely perfect alternative to a basic chicken noodle soup if you’re looking to explore different world cuisines.
How to Make Chikhirtma
First and foremost, we need to start with chicken. Most traditional chikhirtma recipes you will find out there will recommend that you put a whole chicken into a pot, cover it with water and boil it until the chicken is cooked through.
The water the chicken was boiled in is used as the broth for the soup and the chicken is removed and added back in later. While there is nothing fundamentally wrong with this method, I did see a few areas where improvements could be made.
First off, we start with the meat. I use two chicken legs and thighs because they’re tasty and I believe they hold up the best in a soup setting. In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat a small amount of neutral oil until shimmering and add you chicken into the pot.
Allow the chicken to brown on one side (about three to five minutes) before flipping and repeating on the other side. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside (it will NOT be fully cooked at this stage).
You should have a good amount of brown bits on the bottom of the pan now. This is exactly what you want as it adds a bunch of chicken-y flavour to the chikhirtma.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, melt a pat of butter in the pan and add a finely diced yellow onion. Cook this until softened, around five minutes, before adding in a few cloves of minced garlic.
Sautee this until just fragrant and then sprinkle about a tablespoon of all-purpose flour over the onions and garlic. Cook the flour for a minute or two to cook off the raw taste, return your chicken to the pot, and then pour over your chicken stock.
I highly recommend using homemade stock in this recipe as the flavour is much more rich and robust than with storebought, however, storebought stock will do in a pinch.
Bring the stock to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and allow to simmer for about an hour, or until your chicken is nearly falling off the bone and has extracted even more flavour into the broth.
Using a pair of tongs, remove the chicken from the pot and transfer to a plate to cool for a few minutes, just until it’s cool enough for you to touch. Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces, removing the skin and bones and discarding. Set the chicken aside for later.
In a small bowl, lightly beat two egg yolks with a whisk. Then, whisking constantly, slowly ladle in about 125-250 millilitres (about 1/2 to 1 cup) of your soup.
This will temper your egg yolks and prevent them from scrambling when you return it to the pot. Pour your egg yolk mixture back into the pot and stir to combine.
Add your shredded chicken, a splash of white wine vinegar and a good amount of freshly chopped cilantro.
Stir to combine and taste for seasoning, adding salt, pepper or even splash more vinegar if you feel it needs more acidity.
Chikhirtma: Georgian Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 250 g (9 oz) chicken I like to use 2 legs and 2 thighs
- 15 g (1 tbsp) butter
- ½ medium yellow onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 8 g (1 tbsp) all-purpose flour
- 1 litre (4 cups) low sodium chicken stock preferably homemade
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 8 g (¼ cup) fresh cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Over medium heat in a large saucepan, heat one tablespoon of neutral oil until shimmering. Add your chicken and sear on both sides until deeply golden brown, about 3-5 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and melt butter. Add in onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, scraping off any browned bits from the bottom of the pan as the onion releases moisture, about five minutes. Add garlic and cook until very fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Sprinkle flour over onion and garlic mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until the raw flour smell has cooked off, about 1-2 minutes. Return the chicken to the pot (along with any accumulated juices) and pour the stock over it. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and allow to simmer for about 1 hour.
- Uncover and remove the chicken from the soup. Set aside. Lightly beat the egg yolks in a bowl. Whisking constantly, slowly ladle a small amount of the hot broth into the egg yolks to prevent them from curdling. Pour the yolk mixture into the pot and stir to combine.
- Shred the chicken (removing any bones) and return to the pot. Stir in the vinegar and taste to adjust for seasoning, adding salt and pepper where needed. Stir in cilantro and serve immediately.
Video
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
As you can see, this chikhirtma is fairly easy and straightforward to make! A unique spin on a classic, this Georgian chicken soup is sure to be a hit amongst all you serve it to!
Are you wondering how to make chikhirtma? Have any questions? Let me know in the comments!
