Doro Wat

I had the pleasure of being introduced to a wonderful Ethiopian girl who can cook amazing traditional dishes.  I love Ethiopian foods, the flavor and the aroma of it…Last spring she taught me how to make Doro Wat…boy was I please….and confused in the beginning but I have the technique down pat!  It will take almost half a day on your first run but you should get the hang of it and believe me it is worth the effort.  Now a little about Doro Wat: It is perhaps the best known food from Ethiopia and some refer to it as the Ethiopian national dish. This recipe makes a very tasty version with a deep, rich flavor and tender chicken pieces. Preparing homemade berberé is not difficult and is essential to give the dish the authentic flavor. Doro wat is very spicy, but you can adjust the amount of cayenne pepper to your liking. This recipe is dedicated to my 3 Doro Wat lovers: Neema, Maame and KwameJ

Serves about 4-6

·               Chicken legs and thighs, skinless -- 2 pounds

·               Lemon, juice only -- 1

·               Salt -- 2 teaspoons

·               Onions, chopped -- 2

·               Garlic, crushed -- 3 cloves

·               Gingerroot, peeled and chopped -- 1 tablespoon

·               Oil, butter or niter kibbeh -- 1/4 cup

·               Paprika -- 2 tablespoons

·               Berberé paste -- 1/4-1/2 cup

·               Water or stock -- 3/4 cup

·               Red wine -- 1/4 cup

·               Cayenne pepper -- from 1/2 to 2 teaspoons

·               Salt and pepper -- to taste

·               Hard-boiled eggs (optional) -- 4 – 6 (depending on number of people)

Method

1.           Mix together the chicken pieces, lemon juice and salt and in a large, non-reactive bowl and set aside to marinate for about 30 minutes.

2.           While the chicken is marinating, puree the onions, garlic and ginger in a food processor or blender. Add a little water if necessary.

3.           Heat the oil, butter or niter kibbeh in a large pot over medium flame. Add the paprika and stir in to color the oil and cook the spice through, about 1 minute. Do not burn. Stir in the berberé paste and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

4.           Add the onion-garlic-ginger puree and sauté until most of the moisture evaporates and the onion cooks down and loses its raw aroma, about 5-10 minutes. Do not allow the mixture to burn.

5.           Pour in the water or stock and wine and stir in the chicken pieces, cayenne to taste, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Add water as necessary to maintain a sauce-like consistency.

6.           Add the whole hard boiled eggs and continue to cook for another 10-15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and very tender.

7.           Adjust seasoning and serve hot with injera bread or rice.

Variations

·               Traditionally, the pureed onions are cooked first in a dry pan without any oil. The liquid evaporates out and they take on a unique toasted flavor. If you'd like to try this method, just make sure your flame isn't so high it burns the onions, and stir constantly. Then add the oil, butter or niter kibbeh, paprika and the berberé and proceed with the recipe.

·               Lamb or fish may also be substituted for the chicken in this recipe.

·               Chicken breast can be used, but the result won't be as moist.

·               If you don't want to use red wine, just use a full cup of water or stock, but the red wine provides more flavor.

  

Berberé, along with niter kibbeh, supplies one of the unique flavors of Ethiopian cuisine. There really is no substitute. Use as many of the spices as you have, but do not eliminate fenugreek and the dried peppers or paprika. They supply an essential flavor.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

·        Whole cumin -- 2 teaspoons

·        Red pepper flakes -- 1-2 teaspoons

·        Cardamom seeds -- 1 teaspoon

·        Fenugreek seeds -- 1 teaspoon

·        Whole peppercorns -- 8

·        Allspice berries -- 6

·        Whole cloves -- 4

·        New Mexico dried chilies -- 3-4

·        Onion, chopped -- 1

·        Garlic, crushed -- 3 cloves

·        Paprika -- 1 tablespoon

·        Salt -- 1 tablespoon

·        Ginger, ground -- 1 teaspoon

·        Turmeric -- 1 teaspoon

·        Cayenne pepper -- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon

·        Nutmeg -- 1/2 teaspoon

·        Oil -- 1/2 cup

·        Water or red wine -- 1/4 cup

Method

1.    Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium flame. Add the whole spices and toast, stirring for about 2-3 minutes until they give off their aroma. Do not burn. Remove from heat.

2.    Over an open flame, lightly toast the New Mexico chilies, turning quickly from side to side until they soften and become flexible. Do not burn. Remove the stems and seeds and roughly chop.

3.    Put the spices and dried peppers into a spice or coffee grinder and grind to a powder.

4.    Put the ground toasted spices into a food processor or blender along with the remaining ingredients and process until smooth.

5.    Store in the refrigerator for up to a week or freeze portions for later use.

Variations

·        Berberé Powder: omit the onion, garlic, water and oil. Mix all the spices together and store in an airtight jar. Add the powder when paste is called for in recipes.

·        You can make berbere as spicy or as mild as you like. Just vary the amount of pepper flakes and cayenne in the recipe.

·        If New Mexico chilies are not available, substitute another Mexican-style dried chile: anchos, guajilla, etc. If no dried chilies are available, substitute 2 more tablespoons of paprika.

Niter Kibbeh 

Niter kibbeh--a spice-infused, clarified butter--is the ubiquitous cooking medium in Ethiopian cuisine. It adds an incomparable flavor to dishes.

Makes about 2 cups

·        Unsalted butter -- 1 pound

·        Onion, chopped -- 1/2

·        Garlic, crushed -- 2-3 cloves

·        Gingerroot, cut into 1/4-inch slices -- 2-3 pieces

·        Cardamom pods --3-4

·        Cinnamon stick -- 1

·        Whole cloves -- 3-4

·        Fenugreek seeds -- 1 teaspoon

·        Turmeric -- 1/2 teaspoon

Method

1.    Place the butter in a small saucepan and melt over low heat. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer on the lowest possible heat for about 1 hour.

2.    Pour the clear golden liquid off the top leaving all the solids in the bottom of the pan. Strain through cheesecloth if necessary. Discard solids.

3.    Store in the refrigerator or freezer and use as needed.

Variations

·        The spices and amounts are not set in stone, so don't worry if you don't have all of them.