This Georgian dish is a magical combination of bread, cheese, butter, and eggs that will have you swooning.
Khachapuri is one of those obscure foods that you've never heard of until you see a video about it or see a picture and have to do a double-take. Is that an egg on a pizza boat? Not exactly, but sure, it's an egg on a pizza boat, swimming in a pool of cheese. This decadent dish hails from Georgia (the country, not the state) and is perfect for sharing.
It took a couple of days but I FINALLY got my khachapuri fix.
— Roaming Required (@RoamingRequired) December 26, 2018
What is this little piece of magic?
Khachapuri adjaruli is bread shaped liked a boat, filled with melted cheese and topped with egg 😍#RRTBS #Tbilisi #xmasintbilisi #tbilisilovesyou pic.twitter.com/biMAldaTwl
As a course, khachapuri can be served any time, but it is generally served as an appetizer or a brunch dish. Ripping the bread and dipping it in the runny egg and cheese mixture is almost as satisfying as eating it. You can make it easily at home with just a handful of ingredients, but if you'd rather get your fix in a restaurant, here are just some of the places you can find it in the DMV:
Courtesy of Compass Rose on Facebook
Compass Rose
The version here is definitely of the sharing variety. They have an extensive small-plate menu, so stop by and get a bunch of new dishes to try.
- ADDRESS: 1346 T Street NW | Washington, D.C.
- PHONE: (202) 506-4765
- WEBSITE: Compass Rose
Courtesy of Supra on Yelp, photo by @willchews
Supra
This Georgian bar and restaurant has a full authentic menu and happy hour, as well as their famous wines. Head over for a quick trip to Georgia without ever leaving the country!
- ADDRESS: 1205 11th Street NW | Washington, D.C.
- PHONE: (202) 789-1205
- WEBSITE: Supra
Courtesy of Sasuns on Yelp, photo by Sylvie C.
Sasuns
The khachapuri here is a bit different and some call it "cheese canoe pie." It's a bit on the slim side, but still looks amazing.
- ADDRESS: 7217 Muncaster Mill Road | Derwood, MD
- PHONE: (301) 330-1733
- WEBSITE: Sasuns
How to Make Your Own
If you want to try to make khachapuri at home, it's really quite simple. I took a few shortcuts and used some prepared pizza dough from Wegmans and a bit of crumbled chevre instead of the crumbled feta. I gilded the lily with a bit of garlic-laced butter on the crust before the second baking; that added a nice touch.
It's savory and oh-so-satisfying on a cold day. Imagine the best possible sunny-side-up egg served on a freshly baked flatbread, mixed with gooey cheese. I definitely need to work on my technique, but it tasted great. Total breakfast bliss!
Check out this video to see how it's made in a real Georgian kitchen:
If you're looking for something a little different to serve at brunch next weekend, give this a try. A standard pizza dough ball will make two medium ones, plenty for 4-5 people to share as a starter.
Have you been to any of these restaurants to try their khachapuri? Have you ever made it at home? Give us some tips in the comments!