Georgian Churchkhela: Walnut Strings Dipped in Thickened Grape Juice

What you need

• 250 g (9 oz) walnut halves
• 1.5 l (6 cups) unsweetened red or white grape juice, 100% juice
• 300 g (2 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
• 3 tbsp sugar, optional, only if the juice tastes tart

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Toast the walnut halves in a dry frying pan over medium-low heat, shaking the pan, until they smell nutty, 2-3 min. Let them cool.

2. 2

   Thread a long needle with strong cotton thread about 75 cm (30 in) long and knot the end.

3. 3

   Push the needle through the centre of each walnut half, flat side up, to make strings of about 25 halves. Leave a loose length of thread at the top for hanging. Make 4 strings.

4. 4

   Pour 500 ml (2 cups) of the grape juice into a bowl, add the flour and the sugar if using, and whisk until completely smooth.

5. 5

   Bring the rest of the grape juice to a boil in a heavy pot.

6. 6

   Pour the flour mixture into the boiling juice in a thin stream, whisking without stopping.

7. 7

   Lower the heat and simmer, stirring constantly so it does not catch, until thick like a heavy pudding and no longer tastes of raw flour, 10-15 min.

8. 8

   Take the pot off the heat and let the mixture, called tatara, cool for 5-10 min so it clings rather than runs.

9. 9

   Holding a string by its top, lower it into the tatara and spoon the mixture over until every walnut is buried. Lift it out slowly.

10. 10

    Hang the string where it can drip freely, over a tray, from a rod or a hook. Repeat with the other strings.

11. 11

    Chill the leftover tatara. Leave the strings to dry until the coating is no longer wet to the touch, about 24 hours.

12. 12

    Rewarm the tatara gently, stirring, and dip each string a second time. Hang them again.

13. 13

    Dry the churchkhela until firm and leathery outside but still soft within, 2-3 days.

14. 14

    Pull out the thread and slice into rounds to serve. Wrap in cloth and keep somewhere cool and dry.

Imported from internationalcuisine.com. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.