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Duck Stew

Duck Stew

Dishes prepared with poultry are very popular in Georgian cuisine. Duck especially stands out with flavorful notes and the fat brings the combination of ingredients to life. Duck stew is dark in color and also called “black kharcho".

How is duck stew made?

The duck used to make the stew can be either domestic or wild, game. A well-cleaned duck should be cut and put in a cast-iron pot with boiling water poured over it to cover the meat.

Duck meat, unlike other birds, takes longer to cook. We should skim the broth while it is boiling. When the meat becomes soft, take it out, remove the fat from the stew and cook a finely chopped onion and the meat together. The meat and onion should turn the same golden color.

In the cool soup, mix walnuts, garlic, pepper, saffron, foreign spices, raw coriander, and salt. The stewed duck pairs well with Kvatsarakhi (barberry syrup) slowly poured into the meat pot. To get the desired thickness, add boiling water and cook for 15 minutes on low heat.

This recipe with prepared duck is especially loved in Western Georgia and is eaten with traditional polenta, Ghomi.

For stew duck, you need:

● Duck - 1 piece (1.5 kg)

● Walnut - 400 gr

● Onions - 2-3

● utskho suneli spice mixture - 1 tsp

● Raw coriander - 1 bunch

● Saffron - 1 tsp

● Chives - one tsp or 1 tbsp of tomato 

● Garlic - 3-4 cloves

● Salt and pepper – to taste

Other duck dishes

Ducks are bred in family farms in other parts of Georgia. In Meskheti, they also make duck Apokhti, a pre-salted and sun-dried meat, which has special cooking rules and, together with goose stew, is very popular in this area.

In the capital, Tbilisi, duck is made with rice and carrot stuffing. The belly of the thoroughly washed bird is stuffed with half-cooked rice, chopped carrots, red bell pepper, black pepper, and salt. From time to time they put fat on it so that it browns evenly.

Mushrooms are also often used in minced meat because mushrooms and potatoes combined with duck meat create a great flavor. If you cook duck with stuffing, the bird should be young, so it can brown easier. Otherwise, it should be pre-cooked.

Duck Tolma is another specialty dish. The boneless duck is cut into small pieces, stewed together with onions and parsley, dry coriander, garlic, pepper, half-cooked rice (can be made without rice), wrapped in thin cabbage, tightly packed in a pot, put in pieces of tomatoes and put on low heat.

If, in general, you find Tolma on the tables of different countries, remember that Duck Tolma is a true representative of new Georgian cuisine.

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