side.
BERBERE
——— Makes about ½ cup powder or 2 cups paste ———
Award-winning chef Marcus Samuelsson was born in Ethiopia and now operates Red Rooster restaurant in Harlem. His cooking has put berbere, Ethiopia’s complex pepper and spice mix, in the spotlight. + Ethiopians always keep some of the powdered version on hand so they can whip up berbere paste whenever they want. Berbere paste is made by sautéing the powder with onions, garlic, paprika, and liquids. Grind your own spices as described .
Berbere Powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon fenugreek
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
20 dried crushed chile pequín pods, 10 dried crushed chiles de árbol, or ¼ cup New Mexican chile powder
Berbere Paste
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
3 tablespoons dry red wine
1 cup paprika
Berbere Powder
1½ cups water
To make the powder, combine all the powder ingredients and store in a sealed canister in a cool, dry place for up to several months.
To make the paste, heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat and cook the onion until wilted, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook until soft, 1 minute. Add the wine, paprika, and about ½ cup berbere powder. Add the water and stir until well combined. Cool the mixture, transfer to a blender, and purée into a smooth paste. Use as a condiment or to make Ethiopian wat dishes.
DORO WAT
——— Serves 4 ———
Known as the Ethiopian national dish, doro wat is the most popular traditional food in that country. It is often eaten from a communal bowl with each diner using injera bread to scoop out a portion.
¼ cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons salt, plus more as needed
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2 pounds)
3 cups chopped onions
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon peeled, minced fresh ginger (½-inch piece)
Water (optional)
¼ cup butter
2 tablespoons paprika
1 cup berbere paste
¾ cup chicken stock
¼ cup red wine
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
Injera bread or hot cooked rice, to serve
Combine the lemon juice and salt in a large, nonreactive mixing bowl and stir until slightly dissolved. Add the chicken thighs, one at a time, dipping both sides of each piece in the marinade to coat. Cover and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
While the chicken is marinating, purée the onions, garlic, and ginger in a food processor or blender. Add a little water, if necessary, to get the blades moving.
Heat the butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat and stir in the paprika to color the oil. Stir in the berbere paste and cook for 3 minutes, until heated through. Add the onion mixture and sauté until most of the moisture evaporates and the mixture reduces, about 15 minutes.
Pour in the stock and wine, add cayenne to taste, and season with salt and pepper. Remove the chicken from the lemon juice and discard the marinade. Add the chicken to the pot and cover with sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through. Add water, if necessary, to maintain the liquid level.
Add the whole hard-boiled eggs and continue to cook until the chicken is very tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Adjust seasoning and serve hot with injera bread or rice.
Sik Sik Wat: Substitute cubes of beef stew meat for the chicken and cook until tender, which can take up to 45 minutes.
Zucchini Wat: Omit the chicken. Cut 2 pounds of zucchini or summer squash into cubes and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
Grinding Spices
When making berbere, curry powder, or other dry spice mixes, grind your
BERBERE
——— Makes about ½ cup powder or 2 cups paste ———
Award-winning chef Marcus Samuelsson was born in Ethiopia and now operates Red Rooster restaurant in Harlem. His cooking has put berbere, Ethiopia’s complex pepper and spice mix, in the spotlight. + Ethiopians always keep some of the powdered version on hand so they can whip up berbere paste whenever they want. Berbere paste is made by sautéing the powder with onions, garlic, paprika, and liquids. Grind your own spices as described .
Berbere Powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon fenugreek
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
20 dried crushed chile pequín pods, 10 dried crushed chiles de árbol, or ¼ cup New Mexican chile powder
Berbere Paste
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
3 tablespoons dry red wine
1 cup paprika
Berbere Powder
1½ cups water
To make the powder, combine all the powder ingredients and store in a sealed canister in a cool, dry place for up to several months.
To make the paste, heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat and cook the onion until wilted, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook until soft, 1 minute. Add the wine, paprika, and about ½ cup berbere powder. Add the water and stir until well combined. Cool the mixture, transfer to a blender, and purée into a smooth paste. Use as a condiment or to make Ethiopian wat dishes.
DORO WAT
——— Serves 4 ———
Known as the Ethiopian national dish, doro wat is the most popular traditional food in that country. It is often eaten from a communal bowl with each diner using injera bread to scoop out a portion.
¼ cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons salt, plus more as needed
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2 pounds)
3 cups chopped onions
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon peeled, minced fresh ginger (½-inch piece)
Water (optional)
¼ cup butter
2 tablespoons paprika
1 cup berbere paste
¾ cup chicken stock
¼ cup red wine
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
Injera bread or hot cooked rice, to serve
Combine the lemon juice and salt in a large, nonreactive mixing bowl and stir until slightly dissolved. Add the chicken thighs, one at a time, dipping both sides of each piece in the marinade to coat. Cover and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
While the chicken is marinating, purée the onions, garlic, and ginger in a food processor or blender. Add a little water, if necessary, to get the blades moving.
Heat the butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat and stir in the paprika to color the oil. Stir in the berbere paste and cook for 3 minutes, until heated through. Add the onion mixture and sauté until most of the moisture evaporates and the mixture reduces, about 15 minutes.
Pour in the stock and wine, add cayenne to taste, and season with salt and pepper. Remove the chicken from the lemon juice and discard the marinade. Add the chicken to the pot and cover with sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through. Add water, if necessary, to maintain the liquid level.
Add the whole hard-boiled eggs and continue to cook until the chicken is very tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Adjust seasoning and serve hot with injera bread or rice.
Sik Sik Wat: Substitute cubes of beef stew meat for the chicken and cook until tender, which can take up to 45 minutes.
Zucchini Wat: Omit the chicken. Cut 2 pounds of zucchini or summer squash into cubes and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
Grinding Spices
When making berbere, curry powder, or other dry spice mixes, grind your
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