From the Kitchen: Shkmeruli (low carb)
I’ve been having a little fun lately exploring dishes from around the world that naturally work with the way I eat. After the success of shakshuka, my next stop was Georgia—the country, not the state! 😊
Shkmeruli (pronounced roughly shk-meh-ROO-lee) is a traditional Georgian chicken dish known for its wonderfully simple garlic and milk sauce. It originated in the village of Shkmeri in Georgia’s Racha region.
Of course, I made a couple of small changes in my kitchen. I added sautéed mushrooms because...well, mushrooms swimming in a buttery garlic sauce just seemed like a good idea. And it was! I also thickened my sauce slightly with cornstarch, taking it from a thinner traditional sauce to more of a creamy garlic gravy.
The result was very good—tender chicken, plenty of garlic, sautéed mushrooms and a creamy sauce that I could happily have eaten with a spoon.
Georgian Shkmeruli with Creamy Garlic Gravy
Ingredients
2–2½ lbs chicken thighs
Salt and black pepper
1 Tbsp canola oil
2 Tbsp salted butter, divided
8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced (optional, but highly recommended!)
2½ Tbsp regular garlic paste
1½ cups whole milk
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1–2 Tbsp sauce from the skillet
Directions
Season the chicken thighs generously with salt and pepper.
Heat the canola oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and brown well on both sides. Transfer the skillet to a 400°F oven and continue cooking until the chicken reaches at least 165°F. Remove the chicken and set aside.
If there is a large amount of fat remaining in the skillet, pour off the excess, leaving some of those flavorful drippings behind.
Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and the sliced mushrooms, if using. Sauté over medium-high heat for 5–7 minutes, until the mushrooms have released their moisture and begun to brown.
Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the garlic paste and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
Slowly add the whole milk, stirring and scraping up all those browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 5 minutes.
For a thicker, gravy-like sauce, combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1–2 tablespoons of the warm sauce in a small bowl and stir until completely smooth. Slowly stir the mixture back into the skillet and gently simmer until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.
Return the chicken to the skillet, spooning some of that creamy garlic gravy and mushrooms over the top. Heat everything together for another few minutes and serve hot.
From the Kitchen • From the Farm • From the Heart ❤️
My version isn't completely traditional—the mushrooms and thicker gravy are my additions—but that's part of the fun of exploring foods from other cultures: learning what makes a dish special and then bringing a little of it into my own kitchen.
