Name: Rachan Shkmeruli
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Cuisine: Georgian
Ingredients: 1 whole chicken (about 1.2 kg), jointed into 8 pieces; 6 g fine salt, divided; 1 g ground black pepper (about 1/2 teaspoon); 50 g unsalted butter; 15 g garlic (about 1 tablespoon crushed), finely crushed; 250 ml whole milk; Up to 30 ml water, only if needed to loosen the sauce

Rachan garlic chicken in milk sauce, served hot in a clay dish with bread alongside.

Yield4 servings

Serving size1/4 of the chicken and sauce; bone-in weight varies

DifficultyModerate; jointing and thermometer checks are needed

DietContains milk; no gluten-containing ingredient is listed

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The dish

About Rachan Shkmeruli

Golden chicken pieces are served in a hot, silky sauce of crushed garlic and milk. Butter carries the garlic's aroma, while a warm clay dish keeps the sauce ready for bread.

Shkmeruli is associated with Shkmeri village in Racha and is a defining Rachan chicken dish. Recipes vary: Georgia Travel describes a milk-and-garlic sauce and notes that some Racha villages use garlic and water instead. This home version follows the milk-based preparation.

Jointing a small chicken into pieces makes it easier to brown in a home pan and check for doneness. Brown the chicken in butter, finish it covered until safely cooked, then make the quick garlic-milk sauce in the same pan. Serve immediately while the sauce is hot.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

Georgian Garlic Chicken with Milk Sauce (რაჭული შქმერული)

Ingredients

1whole chicken (about 1.2 kg), jointed into 8 pieces
6 gfine salt, divided
1 gground black pepper (about 1/2 teaspoon)
50 gunsalted butter
15 ggarlic (about 1 tablespoon crushed), finely crushed
250 mlwhole milk
Up to 30 ml water, only if needed to loosen the sauce

Method

Prepare the chicken. Pat the chicken pieces dry and season all over with pepper and most of the salt.
Brown in butter. Melt butter in a wide, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken skin-side down in uncrowded batches, then turn and brown the other side. Return pieces to the pan skin-side up and cover.
Cook through. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook covered, turning pieces once if needed, until the thickest part of the breast and the innermost thigh reach 165°F / 74°C on a food thermometer. Transfer to a warmed clay or heatproof dish and keep hot.
Soften the garlic. Pour off excess pan fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon. Add crushed garlic and the remaining salt. Stir over low heat for 30–60 seconds, just until fragrant and barely golden; do not brown it.
Make the milk sauce. Pour in milk, bring to a gentle boil and simmer for about 2 minutes, stirring. If it is too thick, loosen with up to 30 ml water. Taste and adjust only within the stated salt amount.
Serve. Pour the hot garlic-milk sauce over the chicken. Serve at once in the warm dish with bread.

Practical guidance

Tips for success

Pat chicken dry and brown it in batches so the skin colors instead of steaming.
Use a food thermometer in the thickest breast and innermost thigh; cooking time varies with piece size.
Stir garlic over low heat only until fragrant. Burnt garlic turns bitter.

Practical notes

Ask the butcher to joint the chicken if you do not want to cut it at home. Milk-free Rachan versions also exist, but this recipe uses the documented milk sauce. Refrigerate leftovers within two hours at or below 4°C and use within 3–4 days. Reheat gently until steaming hot; the skin will soften in the sauce. Serve with bread to catch the sauce; it is not included in the yield or nutrition estimate.

Nutrition per serving

Estimated nutrition per serving

Serving size: 1/4 of the recipe
Energy: About 590 kcal
Carbohydrates: About 5 g
Protein: About 41 g
Fat: About 44 g
Fibre: About 0 g
Sodium: About 650 mg

Approximate ingredient-based values. Chicken edible yield, rendered butter left in the pan and the amount of sauce eaten change the actual values.

Allergens and food safety

Contains milk. Keep raw chicken and its juices away from ready-to-eat food, and wash hands and equipment after handling it. Cook until the thickest breast and innermost thigh reach at least 165°F / 74°C on a food thermometer; color and time alone are not reliable doneness checks. Refrigerate leftovers within two hours at or below 4°C; use in 3–4 days and reheat until steaming hot.

The result

Tender browned chicken coated in a warm, savory garlic-milk sauce.
Four servings of Rachan Shkmeruli, best served hot with bread.

About Rachan Shkmeruli

Ingredients

Ingredients

Method

Tips for success

Practical notes

Estimated nutrition per serving

Allergens and food safety

The result

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