Khashlama Recipe: Caucasian Boiled Veal Brisket with Garlic
Not long ago I came across an interesting article about primitivism in painting. Primitivism is considered a deliberate simplification of a picture that makes it look like a child's work. A deliberate simplification — worth remembering.
In cooking, simple dishes can hardly be called primitive. Take meat on a spit. It doesn't get simpler than that: a fire, meat, a spit and enough time. Simple, even too simple, yet not everyone can pull it off — just like not everyone can paint. That's hardly primitive. Here's what I say: don't overcomplicate things!
When it comes to being simple and complex at the same time, I love the cuisines of the Caucasus. The dishes are often incredibly simple, even primitive, yet in richness of flavor and aroma they never fall short of the famous masterpieces of world cuisine — and quite often they are where those masterpieces came from.
There is a meat dish called khashlama. It is known far beyond the Caucasus, just like kebab, shashlik and lavash. It's an utterly simple dish and a must at long feasts with plenty of good wine. Khashlama is traditionally made with lamb, but beef is every bit as good.
The recipe for khashlama and the way it's served vary a lot from region to region. Kazakh nomads, for example, make khashlama as a stew of meat and vegetables laid in layers and cooked without water, in its own juices. In Armenia, where everyone has their “own” khashlama, they add potatoes and plenty of herbs. Khashlama is often made as a soup, too.
Ingredients
4 servings
- Veal brisket 1 kg
- Garlic 1 head
- Parsley, cilantro 1 bunch
- Celery root, parsnip, carrot, parsley root 1 each
- Salt, bay leaves to taste
Step-by-step recipe
- The simplest khashlama, and probably the tastiest, is made in Kakheti. People there know a thing or two about cooking meat simply. A minimum of ingredients, a maximum of soul. Properly boiled meat needs nothing on the side except wine.
- The most important thing is choosing the right meat. You need lamb or veal brisket — meat on the rib with bits of cartilage. Lamb is hard to find here, but veal brisket is always available, though sadly not many people buy it.
- With plenty of drinks and toasts, khashlama is the perfect appetizer. Shashlik is great too, but someone has to stand and grill it, which means someone misses the party. Khashlama, once cooked, can be eaten all the time and needs no further attention.
- Again: meat, a rich broth, spices and garlic make a wonderful appetizer — and the next morning, as many of you will understand, a wonderful cure for what is commonly known as a hangover.
- The beauty of this dish is that you can make a huge cauldron of it and sit at the table for several days without getting distracted — except maybe to fetch more from the cellar. The finished dish is cooled and, if you like, reheated in the broth in the morning.
- Cut the brisket into large pieces, ideally with a bit of bone or cartilage in each one. Put them in a cauldron or pot, cover with cold water and put on the heat.
- When the water comes to a boil, skim off the foam and add the parsley root, celery root and carrot cut into large chunks and, if you like, a whole unpeeled onion. Add 2–3 bay leaves. After 15–20 minutes of boiling, the bay leaves should be removed.
- Khashlama is cooked over low heat for 2–4 hours at a very gentle simmer.
- When the cooking is done, take the roots out of the broth and serve them with the meat as a side dish or simply throw them away. Pour off the broth and keep it “for later”. The broth can be served with the meat in cups or bowls.
- But best of all, especially if the khashlama was made for a feast, drop the leftover meat into the broth in the morning, bring it to a boil and serve it to your friends as a morning remedy. Tried and tested — it revives even the most hopeless cases.
- Place the boiled pieces of meat on a platter and season with coarse rock salt to taste.
- Peel the garlic and crush it in a mortar or grate it. The amount of garlic is up to you, but khashlama should be spicy and garlicky. Mix it with 2–3 spoonfuls of broth and pour the mixture over the meat. Be sure to sprinkle with finely chopped parsley and cilantro (optional).
- That's really all there is to it. A superb appetizer, especially with a good Caucasian red wine and good hearty toasts!
| Yield: | 4 servings |
| Calories: | 160 |
| Prep: | 15 mins |
| Cooking: | 3 h |
| Ready in: | 3 h 15 mins |
| Category: | Main Dishes |
| Cuisine: | Caucasian cuisine |
| Rating: |
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4.6
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