Chicken Tabaka

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 small chicken (roast chicken)
• 2 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp Smetana (alternatively sour cream)
• 1 garlic clove(s), or 2
• Salt

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 30 minutes

Recipe from Georgia

Wash the chicken, dry it, and cut it lengthwise along the breastbone. Rub it with salt inside and out. Flatten and pound the chicken on all sides until it has a flat oval shape. It should look like it was run over by a steamroller. Tuck the legs and wings firmly into the back. Brush the flattened chicken with the sour cream and fry in hot butter on both sides until golden brown (about 20 minutes each side). Either weigh the chicken down with a very heavy lid or place a bowl of water on top of a plate. Finely chop the garlic, sprinkle with a little salt, and crush it with the back of a knife. Mix it with a little of the meat juices and serve separately. Serve with fried potatoes, French fries, and a fresh salad. In Georgia, Tabaka is traditionally served with tkemali sauce.