Chicken Tabaka - Simple Georgian Dish Recipe

How to make it

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• Pat the hen dry and place it breast side up on a large cutting board.
• With a sharp knife, slice down the middle of the breastbone, to separate the rib cage. Be careful not to cut all the way through the hen - it should remain in one piece.
• Turn the hen over and flatten it with a meat pounder.
• With a sharp knife make a small slit at the lower edge of each breast half and push the tips of the drumsticks through the slits, one on each side, so that the knobby ends of the drumsticks protrude on the skin side.
• Make similar slits on the upper edge of each breast half and push the wing tips through. Each breast half should be covered by drumstick and a wing.
• Flatten the hen gently once more with the meat pounder.
• Rub the hen with crushed garlic, salt liberally, and dust with cayenne.
• Heat a cast-iron skillet large enough to hold the hen. Add butter.
• Once it melts put the hen in the pan, turning to coat both sides.
• Cook skin side up over medium high heat for 5 minutes, then turn skin side down.
• Place a plate or another skillet over the hen and weight it down with a heavy can or bowl filled with water. Cook the hen over medium heat for 20 minutes, until the skin is brown and slightly crusty. Turn, replace the weight, and cook 5-10 minutes more.
• Serve with Garlic Sauce or Tkemali (sour plum) Sauce.
• In Russian restaurants it was served with Ketchup, which is also pretty good
• The platter can be served with rice or green beans or both.

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