Eclectic Bistro Fare

November 20, 2008

Doro Wat for the Soul


This was a hit with my daughter and I didn't make it too spicy! Its not much to look at but this is some great chicken stew. Probably the best African dish you'll ever try. I love Ethiopian food with a passion. I can probably best describe it as an African "Chicken Jambalaya". It all starts with a spice mix called Berbere. I sautee these spices and vegetables in butter...fenugreek, allspice, clove, ginger, cayenne, garlic, nutmeg, black pepper, onion, and carrot. Then I add chicken stock, thyme, tomato sauce and a dry white wine (apple juice works too), and add the juice of one lemon. Make sure that you have a good amount of liquid in the pot to cover your chicken. I place all parts of a broken down chicken into the pot (bone-in) minus the innards, and let it simmer for about 20 minutes. After this I add a few eggs (in the shell still) and let it cook for about 15 minutes more. I pop the eggs out and cool them down under cold water, peel and dice and add back to the stew. Stir it up and serve over rice, cous cous or make some nice Ingera bread. I hope you have more time than I did to locate some Tef Flour. If you live in a city with a significant Ethiopian or Eritrean population you might find a nifty little cultural market that has some. Aren't one pot dishes a pleasure to clean up? - Enjoy.

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