Georgian · appetizer

Kuchmachi (Warm Offal in Walnut and Pomegranate)

Kuchmachi (Warm Offal in Walnut and Pomegranate) reads umami 6.2, richness 5.6 and nutty 4.4 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Georgian appetizer, about 1 hr 18 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 6.8 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 5.3 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 3.5 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 3.1 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 6.9 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.6 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 6.2 · Richness 5.6 · Nutty 4.4 · Salinity 4.3 · Fruity 4.3 · Allium 3.9 · Sweetness 3.5 · Herbaceous 3.0 · Earthy 2.8 · Sourness 2.7 · Floral 2.7 · Citrus 2.5 · Funk & Ferment 1.9 · Bitterness 1.7 · Warm Spice 1.7 · Heat 1.6

What's in it (15)

• chicken hearts — 500 g
• chicken livers — 300 g
• sunflower oil — 55 g
• onions — 300 g
• garlic — 15 g
• salt — 3 g
• walnut halves — 120 g
• coriander seed — 10 g
• blue fenugreek — 1 g
• dried marigold petals — 5 g
• ground red pepper — 3 g
• dry white wine — 60 g
• salt — 6 g
• pomegranate seeds — 80 g
• cilantro — 15 g

Time & effort: about 1 hr 18 min (1 hr 3 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 163.4 kcal, 10.4 g protein, 10.6 g fat, 5.8 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (8 steps)

1. Gizzards need a long head start. Simmer them with the hearts in lightly salted water for 35 minutes, until they yield to a knife tip, then drain and keep 150 ml of the cooking liquid.
2. Get the oil smoking hot in a wide pan and sear the livers hard for 4 minutes, turning once. They should be brown outside and rosy in the middle. Livers cooked through go grainy and the sauce cannot rescue them.
3. Lift the livers out, drop the heat to medium and cook the onion in the same pan for 10 minutes until soft and just colouring.
4. Return the hearts, gizzards and livers to the pan and stir in the garlic paste, ground walnuts, coriander, blue fenugreek, marigold, red pepper and salt.
5. Pour in the wine and let it hiss and cook away for 2 minutes, scraping the pan.
6. Add the reserved cooking liquid a little at a time and cook 8 minutes at a low simmer, until the walnuts have thickened it into a loose sauce that coats the offal. Ground walnuts thicken like flour but split if boiled hard, so keep it gentle.
7. Take it off the heat and let it cool 15 minutes. Kuchmachi is served warm or at room temperature, never hot, as part of a supra table.
8. Scatter the pomegranate seeds and chopped coriander over just before it goes out.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Beef Braciole Roll-Ups with Marinara — Italian-American
• Spiced Lamb Flatbread Pizzas with Yogurt and Pine Nuts — Middle Eastern
• Pansoti con Salsa di Noci — Italian · Liguria
• Baked Rigatoni with Meat Sauce — Italian-American
• Pasta Primavera with Spring Vegetables — Italian-American

Keep reading: what umami, richness, nutty mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

See how this dish fits your palate — take the short taste test →

Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.