Megrelian Khachapuri

Georgia, the delightful gem of the Caucasus, is home to what I consider the most mouthwatering of all world cuisines...and I have sampled a few so I know what I'm talking about. Meats, cheeses, and incredible baked goods, this food combines the best of hearty, comfort food extraordinaire Slavic fare with the flavor-rich subtlety of Greece and the Mediterranean. Quite definitely the best of two incredible food worlds. The national food of Georgia is Khachapuri, the blanket term for a variety of cheese breads. Each region of Georgia has it's own twist on this dish, each with its own charm and delectability. While traveling in Georgia, I sampled and took careful note of each type, knowing that one day I would like to recreate these breads with an eye and a tongue bent towards the authenticity only possible after experiencing the real deal prepared by those who learned the taste and technique at the feet of their grandmothers. In a previous article (Great Boats of Cheese) I cooked and explored the most iconic of these regional cheese breads, the Adjarian Khachapurui, which is what most non-Georgians may have seen before. Today, I prepare another variant, the Megrelian khachapuri, hailing from the Samegrelo region in Western Georgia. This variety is essentially a chewy-crusted cheese pizza with another layer of crust enclosing the top. It is traditionally stuffed with the classic Georgian cheese Sulguni, a salty, sour, brined cheese simplar to a strong mozzarella. This cheese is virtually impossible to come by outside of Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia, so I simulated it with a combination of Mexican melting cheese, ricotta, and tangy feta. It came close, but not perfect to the rich pungency of real sulguni. Oh, well, no complaints, this is still incredibly satisfying even if not one-hundred percent authentic. One makes due when preparing deeply ethnic foods away from their homeland and arsenal of authentic ingredients.

To compliment this, and compound the heart-stopping, waist expanding, nature of this meal, I also whipped up a round of the classic Slavic "Sosiska v Teste" (сосиска в тесте), meaning "Sausage in Dough." A rich sausage roll wrapped in a chewy, yeasty dough.

Enjoy!