Green Bean Lobio with Chicken Drumsticks

How to prepare the chicken

1. It has become the custom that green beans here are usually only sold frozen. They are perfect for cooking. It is a pity they are always the same type, long pencil-like pods, already cut into pieces. For some reason many people call such beans “asparagus”.

   

   Varieties with wide, flat pods are much tastier, but they are rare. I have no idea what this variety is called, I am not a botanist, but I know for certain that in Turkey these beans are called ayşekadın.

   

   Chicken drumsticks are ideal for cooking any dish in portions. First, they have a lot of dark meat, which I like much more than white (breast fillet). Second, a drumstick fits a portion perfectly by weight. And third, as one little friend of mine says, they have a very handy handle to grab. I do not quite agree with that last point, and I cut off the bone together with the skin, which makes the drumsticks look like little balls. It is more convenient to cook this way, and the chicken with green beans turns out just right.

2. Cut off the drumstick bone and remove the skin, you do not need them. Carefully trim off the remaining fat and inner tendons.

How to fry the chicken with vegetables

1. Fry the chicken until lightly browned. Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat and add the prepared chicken.

   

   Fry the drumsticks, making sure to turn them. Be careful: drumsticks contain a lot of liquid, and when it leaks out the hot oil can spatter.

   

2. Add the peeled, diced carrot and parsnip roots. Fry the chicken and roots for 8–10 mins, until the vegetable cubes are soft and begin to brown a little.

   

   The carrot usually raises no questions. The usual question is: why parsnip? When heated, especially fried, parsnip becomes very aromatic and even sweet. It lifts the dish enormously. I recommend parsnip.

3. Add the onion cut into thick strips, the garlic coarsely chopped with a knife, and a few dried hot pepper pods to taste. Add salt and the Caucasian spice blend khmeli-suneli.

   

   Khmeli-suneli (Georgian ხმელი-სუნელი) means “dry spice”. It is a versatile and quite unique aromatic but not hot spice blend, more fragrant than spicy. It is made of dried herbs and spices: basil, parsley, celery, dill, coriander, bay leaf, summer savory, mint, marjoram, fenugreek, saffron. Khmeli-suneli is the staple spice blend of Caucasian cuisine. A chicken dish with khmeli-suneli will be very aromatic.

5. Fry the chicken and vegetables in an uncovered pan over medium heat until the onion starts to brown.

How to cook with the beans

1. Add the green beans cut into pieces the length of a matchstick. If you use frozen beans (sold even in small shops), you do not need to thaw them, they will cook through even so.

   

   Keep frying the chicken and vegetables over medium heat for 10 mins.

2. Pour half a cup of water (100 ml) from the kettle into the pan, bring it to a boil, then leave the dish to stew under a lid over the lowest heat. The dish is ready when the chicken is done: a knife should pierce it easily. This usually takes up to 15 mins.

Serving

1. Put the cooked chicken with vegetables and beans on plates.

   

   If you like, or for decoration, add a sprig of parsley or sprinkle with chopped parsley so the dish looks pleasant and festive.

   

   This dish is very good with pickled tomatoes, cucumbers and garlic.