Satsivi — Chicken Thighs in Cold Walnut Sauce

Ingredients

• 2½ lb bone-in Chicken Thighs
• 2½ cups walnuts
• 2 onions, finely diced
• 5 cloves garlic
• 3 tbsp butter
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp blue fenugreek (or ½ tsp fenugreek)
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp marigold or turmeric
• Salt and cayenne

Method

1. Simmer the Chicken Thighs in water to cover with 2 tsp salt for 40 minutes, until tender and 175°F (79°C) at the bone. Lift it out, keep 3 cups of the broth, and roast the pieces at 425°F (220°C) for 15 minutes to brown.
2. Cook the onions in the butter over low heat until completely soft and pale gold, 20 minutes. Rushing the onions makes a gritty sauce.
3. Grind the walnuts and garlic to a fine paste, then work in a cup of the warm broth until smooth. Push it through a sieve if you want the silk texture of a Tbilisi kitchen.
4. Stir the walnut paste into the onions with the coriander, fenugreek, cinnamon, cloves, marigold, and the remaining broth. Cook over the lowest heat for 15 minutes, stirring often, until it thickens and orange walnut oil rises to the surface.
5. Season with the vinegar, salt, and cayenne — it should be nutty, tart, and faintly sweet with spice, not hot.
6. Pull the meat from the bones, fold it into the sauce, and refrigerate at least 4 hours. Serve cold or barely cool with bread; satsivi served hot is a different, lesser dish.