Tabaka da Niortskali (Georgian-Style Cornish Game Hen with Garlic Sauce)

One of mankind's oldest crops, garlic has been prized for its medicinal and culinary uses for thousands of years. Originating in Central Asia, it has long been popular in the cuisine of Georgia, where it enhances dishes like this crisp-skinned hen. A whole bird—you can use a Cornish game hen or a small chicken—is rubbed with garlic paste, cooked under a weight in an iron skillet, and served in a pool of butter with a side of niortskali, a sauce of pan drippings fortified with raw garlic and cilantro. This recipe first appeared in our November 2014 issue with the story The Glories of Garlic.