A Caucasus Celebration

We had friends over again, and as usual, I spent a couple of days in the kitchen preparing for their visit.  This time I whipped up a regional tasting menu of Caucasian specialties from Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.  As they ate and in between the “yummy sounds” my friends kept on commenting that there were, “so many flavors on the plate”.

Many thanks to my decorator, line chef, historian and cyber-guy husband for making everything possible.   All dishes were enjoyed with Georgian Tvishi or Kindzmarauli wines.

 

The Menu

Appetizers
Georgian Dolmas
Pomegranate Pickled Garlic
Armenian Red Pepper
Yogurt and Cucumber Dip
Naan

Main Courses
Grilled Chicken Garo
Azeri Lamb Chops with Sour Cherry Sauce
Eggplant in a Sweet and Sour Pomegranate Sauce
Azeri String Beans in a Sour Tomato Sauce
Sesame and Almond Pilaf

Dessert
Ravane
Saffron Ice Cream
Dried Figs and Apricots

All recipes are, of course, from Volume One of The Silk Road Gourmet.

 

Georgian Dolmas:  Stuffed Grape leaves, dolmas or dolmades are eaten from Eastern Mediterranean Greece and Turkey clear across Central Asia and in several Eastern Asia countries like Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.  The Georgian variety I served stuffed the leaves with lamb and rice mixture with the strong flavors of dill, lemon and walnuts.  Delicious!

The Pomegranate Pickled Garlic:  I’ve written about this pickle before in the blog and will likely mention it again, because it is one of my Silk Road pickles.  This Georgian dish uses unsweetened pomegranate juice with a hint of vinegar and dill and lots of cracked black pepper to flavor the garlic.  The longer it pickles, the milder and more fruity the garlic becomes.  Enjoy with naan or other flat bread.

Armenian Roasted Red Pepper Salad:  This salad offered a sweeter alternative to the appetizer table.  Roasted and skinned sweet red peppers marinate in grapeseed oil and white vinegar with a bit of garlic and roasted almonds added.

Yogurt and Cucumber Dip:  Once again, yogurt dips are enjoyed from Eastern Europe throughout Western, Central and Southern Asia.  Keeping with the Caucasian theme of the dinner, I chose an Armenian version flavored with mint, garlic and black pepper.  The yogurt and the cucumbers create a cooling dip to soothe the palate challenged by spicy or fiery foods.

Grilled Chicken Garo: A sensational Georgian way to prepare chicken that will tease and amaze your guests with unfamiliar flavor combinations.  The chicken is first marinated for several days in lemon juice and light sesame or peanut oil and generous amounts of the Georgian spice mixture Khmeli-Suneli. Then the chicken is grilled and enjoyed with the cilantro-based Garlic and Walnut sauce with overtones of fenugreek and lemon.

Azeri Lamb Chops with Sour Cherry Sauce:  Lamb with a light crust of freshly grated nutmeg and cracked pepper is baked and sweetened with a sauce of sour cherries, cinnamon and a hint of lemon juice.  Together an amazing and unforgettable combination!

Eggplant in a Sweet and Sour Pomegranate Sauce:  This recipe couples earthy eggplants with a Georgian pomegranate sauce flavored with red onions, sweet basil and a couple of chili peppers.

Azeri String Beans in a Sour Tomato Sauce:  One of my favorite vegetable dishes of all times.  Green beans sautéed with onions and then joined by a sour tomato sauce made with white vinegar, black pepper and yogurt.  Fabulous!

Sesame and Almond Pilaf:  A buttery, nutty, Azeri pilaf flavored with roasted sesame seeds and almonds that is related to Gulf and Levantine rice dishes.  I like this pilaf because it has a strong enough flavor to be paired with the main meats and vegetables described here, but complements without interfering with those flavors.

Ravane:  This cake is once again a regional favorite eaten from Greece through Central Asia.  The Georgian version I made is baked with a mix of nut flours and wheat flour and then permeated with a simple syrup flavored with citrus and cinnamon that is allowed to sit overnight before serving.  Sweet, but earthy at the same time.  Some versions use only wheat flour, while others make the syrup from honey instead of sugar.

Saffron Ice Cream:  Just a little something to complement the ravane.  A saffron flavored ice cream made with chopped pistachio nuts and rosewater.  Semi sweet and a bit nutty – really good!

(Words by Laura Kelley.  Photo of the Dolmas borrowed from the Food and Wine Blog by Azat Aslanyan)

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