Eastern Europe & Caucasus recipes

Georgian khachapuri, Ukrainian borscht and Polish pierogi — simple, deeply comforting home cooking.

Georgia recipes

Georgian chakhokhbili: chicken braised with tomatoes and onions, scattered with fresh herbs
Georgia

Chakhokhbili: Georgian Chicken Braised in Tomatoes and Herbs

Chakhokhbili (ჩახოხბილი) is Georgia's chicken and tomato stew, once made with pheasant. Learn how to brown the chicken, manage the moisture from onions and tomatoes, substitute for khmeli suneli, reduce canned tomatoes, add the herbs at the right moment, make it ahead and mop up the sauce with bread.

Caucasian-style shashlik on metal skewers grilling over charcoal
Georgia

Shashlik: Caucasian Charcoal-Grilled Skewers in the Georgian Mtsvadi Style

How to make shashlik through the lens of Georgian mtsvadi: pork shoulder marinated in grated onion, salt and pomegranate juice, grilled over glowing coals. Covers heat control on a grill, broiler, oven or skillet, substitutes, sides, storage, common mistakes and food safety.

Georgian shkmeruli finished in a black skillet: seared chicken simmered in a white sauce of milk and garlic
Georgia

Shkmeruli: Georgian Chicken in Garlic Milk Sauce

Shkmeruli is a Georgian dish from the Racha region: seared chicken simmered briefly in a garlicky milk sauce. This recipe uses boneless thighs and covers milk vs. sour cream, keeping the garlic from burning, a safe internal temperature, storage, skillet swaps and how to fix a split sauce.

Russia recipes

Russian medovik with many thin honey layers and white cream
Russia

Medovik: Russian Layered Honey Cake with Sour Cream Filling

Medovik (Медовик) is a Russian honey cake of thin baked honey layers stacked with sour cream. Step-by-step photos cover the double-boiler dough temperature, layer thickness, why it rests overnight, a small 12 cm version, substitutes, storage, common mistakes and serving it with tea.

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