Sometimes I get requests for recipes other than Armenian ones. Here is one such request:

“My name is Tamara,
   …It is such a pleasure to read the stories (in your blog) of different Armenian people, and where various recipes come from!!
I was wondering if there is an Armenian version of a Georgian (correct me if I’m wrong) dish Satsivi (chicken in a walnut sauce)?

Thank you so much in advance!”

Tamara’s Satsivi – Chicken in Walnut Sauce

In response to Tamara’s request, I sent her the recipe below, explaining that although I’ve had this recipe for quite a while, I’ve never made due to my husband’s allergy to walnuts. (Maybe it works with pecans??)
I don’t know if the recipe I sent Tamara is an Armenian version of this traditionally Georgian dish, but there is a similar recipe in Alice Bezjian’s ‘The Complete Armenian Cookbook’.

Chicken with Walnut Sauce
Serves 6
Ingredients for preparing the chicken:
1 (2 to 3 lb.) whole chicken, rinsed and cut in half
1 medium onion, cut into quarters
2 medium carrots, cut into chunks
2 stalks of celery, cut into large pieces
One small bunch of parsley – leaves and stems
4 peppercorns, lightly crushed
Salt to taste
Water (about 3 to 4 cups)

2 slices whole wheat bread, crusts removed
1 cup of the chicken broth (from above procedure)
1 ½ to 2 cups walnut pieces, toasted
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. ground coriander
2 tsp. paprika
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Place rinsed chicken in a large pot with the onions, carrots, celery, parsley, peppercorns, salt, and enough water to cover the chicken. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and cook over medium heat for about 45 to 50 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Add water during the cooking process, if necessary. Remove any foamy scum that rises to the surface.

3. Strain broth through a sieve. Discard the vegetables, peppercorns and any unwanted particles. Set aside strained broth separately from the chicken. Measure out one cup of broth. Place remaining broth in a bowl with a tight-fitting lid; refrigerate and save for another use.

1. Toast the walnuts in a dry, non-stick skillet, until their fragrance fills the air; do not burn. Cool slightly.

3. Add the walnuts; blend until it resembles a paste. Add the garlic, coriander, paprika, lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper. Blend until the mixture has thickened slightly.

Place chicken chunks in a serving bowl. Pour walnut sauce over the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for several hours. Serve cold.

In addition to my recipe, I sent Tamara two others I found online – one from ‘Recipe Goldmine’; the other from an Australian website.


When all was said and done, Tamara sent me her final response:

I ended up using a recipe from YouTube, but I have modified it a little bit, as I was cooking for only 2 people, and I had chicken fillets. I have used less water than in the recipe video, to achieve a thick Satsivi sauce, also I have used much less garlic.”