Picking this month’s featured reader recipe was definitely not an easy decision! A big thank you to all who submitted so many yummy supper ideas, and a big congratulations to our winner: Jennifer Turnbull of Victoria, Canada, and her mid-week twist on the traditional Ethiopian dish, Doro Wat. While the ingredient list may seem extensive, this dish whips up in no time at all, and as Jennifer adds, “this will ensure your spice rack is well stocked.” We would have to agree! “The trick to making this a quick and easy supper,” says Jennifer, “is to make up a large batch of the dry spice portion of the Berberé paste and just have it on hand. From there it’s a very simple ‘marinate and bake’ dinner.” We love that such complex flavours can be added to our working week meal rotation!
Jennifer likes to add potatoes to her dish, mostly because her family really enjoys it that way, but you can easily substitute in some steamed jasmine rice for a slightly lighter take. We also recommend serving some injera style bread with this meal because trust us, you’ll want something to soak up every drop of this delicious sauce!
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4 to 6 servings
- 2 lbs Chicken legs and thighs, skinless
- juice of 1 lemon
- 2 onions, diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 1 Tbsp. ginger root, peeled and chopped
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 Tbsp. paprika
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup Berberé paste** (recipe follows)
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 tsp. cayenne pepper or to preference
- sea salt and pepper to taste
- 4 hard-boiled eggs
- 6 potatoes – parboiled to medium soft
Mix together the chicken pieces and lemon juice in a large, non-reactive bowl and set aside to marinate for about 30 minutes.
While the chicken is marinating, puree the onions, garlic and ginger in a food processor or blender. Add a little water if necessary.
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. 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 to 3 minutes. 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 to 10 minutes. Do not allow the mixture to burn.
Pour in the stock and stir in the chicken pieces, cayenne to taste, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 35-45 minutes. Add water as necessary to maintain a sauce-like consistency. Add the whole hard boiled eggs and potatoes and continue to cook for another 5 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and very tender.
**Berberé Paste
Makes about 1 1/2 cups
- 2 tsp. whole cumin
- 1-2 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp cardamom seeds
- 1 tsp. fenugreek seeds
- 8 whole peppercorns
- 6 allspice berries
- 4 whole cloves
- 1 Tbsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 1 tsp. ground ginger, ground
- 1 tsp. turmeric
- 1/2 – 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine
Heat a cast-iron skillet (or any good sauté pan) over medium heat. Add the whole spices and toast, stirring for about 2-3 minutes until they give off their aroma. Do not burn. Remove from heat. Put the spices into a spice or coffee grinder and grind to a powder.
Put the ground toasted spices into a food processor or blender along with the remaining ingredients and process until smooth.
Store in the refrigerator for up to a week or freeze portions for later use.
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