Chikhirtma – Delicious Georgian Chicken Broth

On a hot summer day, heavy soups don’t feel appealing — you want something lighter and flavorful, and this broth is just what you need.

Ingredients

For the broth:

• Whole chicken – 1
• Carrot – 1
• Parsley root – half a root
• Celery root – 1/4 of a root
• Green stems of dill and parsley
• Onion – 1
• Bay leaves – 2–3
• Allspice (whole) – 4
• Black peppercorns – 6–7
• Salt

For the broth seasoning:

• All-purpose flour – 1 tbsp
• Onions – 2
• Egg yolks – 3
• Saffron – a pinch (I used turmeric instead)
• Salt
• Pepper
• Cilantro greens (I used parsley)
• Chicken fat or butter – 100g
• Wine vinegar – 1 tsp (optional)

Step-by-Step Recipe for Chicken Chikhirtma

Step 1
Place the chicken in a pot, cover with water, and set to boil.

Step 2
Prepare the vegetables and spices for the broth: roughly chop the carrot, parsley root, and celery root. Quarter the onion. Gather the herb stems — this will act like a bouquet garni.

Step 3
Add all of this to the broth after skimming off the foam. Add 1 tsp of salt. Reduce the heat, leave the pot slightly uncovered, and let the chicken simmer gently for at least an hour.
Once done, remove the chicken from the broth, strain the broth, and add salt to taste. Set aside 250 ml of broth for the seasoning.

Step 4
Prepare everything for the broth seasoning.

Step 5
Finely chop the onions and sauté them in half of the fat. Add to the broth.

Step 6
Separately, sauté the flour in the remaining fat.

Step 7
Dilute with a little broth, add black pepper, bring to a boil, and remove from heat. Add this white sauce to the broth as well.

Step 8
Beat the egg yolks, add chopped greens, wine vinegar (optional), saffron (or turmeric), and the reserved broth. Gradually pour this mixture into the hot broth while stirring constantly.

Step 9
To prevent the yolks from curdling, do not bring the seasoned chikhirtma to a boil.

Step 10
To serve, place pieces of boiled chicken into bowls and pour the soup over them. You can sprinkle freshly ground black pepper on top.
Some of the chicken can be reserved for a second course. An open vegetable pie pairs well with chikhirtma.

Enjoy your meal!