Doro Wat
A classic Ethiopian chicken dish made with Berbere Seasoning, red onions, garlic, ginger, lots of butter and red wine. (And bonus - it’s even better on the second day!) See Notes at the bottom for serving suggestions and more info about this dish.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
Doro Wat made in the Adventure Kitchen, served here with yogurt. Doro Wat is best served family-style, on top of injera if you can find it (see details at the bottom of the recipe).
5 sticks unsalted butter (1 1/4 pounds)
4-5 medium red onions very finely chopped in a food processor or grated on a cheese grater, then chopped
5 fat garlic cloves
A 4-inch piece of fresh ginger
1/4 cup cold water
1/4-1/3 cup Berbere Seasoning (depending on your heat tolerance), plus more for your guests to add to taste at the table
1 teaspoon korerima, lightly crushed in a mortar and pestle
1 teaspoon coarse salt (or half this amount if using table salt)
1/2 cup dry red wine such as a Zinfandel
3.5 pounds dark meat chicken pieces (combination of thighs and drumsticks), skin removed (see notes)
4-6 hard boiled eggs (1 per person)
Freshly ground black peppercorns
Plain yogurt or farmer's cheese for serving
Injera bread for serving (often available for take-out at Ethiopian restaurants), or see Notes for other options
Squeeze of lemon (optional, see Notes)
Instructions
1. Clarify the butter: cut it into chunks and add it to a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. As the butter melts, it will simmer a bit and white foam will develop across the top, while the milk solids separate and sink to the bottom. After about 30-40 minutes, skim off the foam, remove from heat and keep covered and still.
2. Separately, add the onions to a dry, heavy pot such as a Dutch oven, set over medium heat. Stir occasionally and cook with the lid off, about 20-30 minutes, until the onions begin to stick to the bottom of the pot (do not let them burn).
3. As the onions cook, peel the garlic and ginger and finely grate them on a microplane. You should have about 2 tablespoons of each (about 1/4 cup combined).
4. When the onions begin to stick to the bottom of the pot, add the garlic and ginger and turn the heat to medium-low. Stir frequently to avoid burning and continue cooking for about 10 minutes with the lid off, allowing the mixture to darken.
5. Carefully pour the clarified butter from the saucepan into the onion mixture, being careful to leave the milk solids behind in the bottom of the pan (you can discard them). Stir the butter into the onion mixture, simmer for 15 minutes with the lid off, then add the water. Stir in the Berbere Seasoning, korerima and salt. Simmer for 15 minutes partially covered, then add the red wine and simmer for another 5 minutes with the lid off.
6. While the mixture simmers, prepare the chicken pieces by cutting 2-3 slits into the meat of each piece, perpendicular to the bone but not all the way down to the bone, to allow the flavorful sauce to better penetrate the meat. When ready, add the chicken pieces to the sauce, turning them to coat well. Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer for 25-35 minutes with the lid on, turning them occasionally, until cooked through.
7. While the chicken cooks, peel the hard boiled eggs and cut small wedges out of the whites of the eggs (as in the picture), stopping before you get to the yolk.
8. When the chicken is fully cooked, carefully add the eggs to the pot and turn everything to be sure it is well-covered by the sauce. Sprinkle with a few grinds of black pepper. Simmer for about 5 minutes, until the eggs are heated through.
9. Taste and add an extra sprinkle of Berbere Seasoning or squeeze of lemon if needed. Serve with injera if possible.
Notes:
To serve this in the classic Ethiopian way, ladle the Doro Wat onto a large round of injera, along with piles of things like collards and yogurt. Everyone eats with their hands, tearing off pieces of the tangy, fermented bread to wrap up each bite. And actually, it’s traditional for people to not only eat with their own hands, but to feed each other as well, as a gesture of love and generosity. The most honored person is sometimes served first this way, as a sign of respect.
Doro Wat is fun to serve and fun to eat. I often have it with the kids in my summer camp, and every time, the adults all fret that it might be too spicy, or the kids won’t like the injera bread that’s served with it. But each time, the kids love it, having fun eating with their hands, dipping and mixing things together, and trying something new.
Injera is made from teff flour, and to my Western palate, it actually doesn’t register as “bread.” It’s more like a giant crepe that tastes a bit like a pickle. It contributes a sour note to each bite, which is the perfect counterpoint to all the other flavors in this dish. Injera is often available for takeout from your local Ethiopian restaurant. (You can also find recipes online to make your own, but plan ahead - it’s a fermented food that takes several days to make!) If you don’t have injera, the optional squeeze of lemon is especially nice to add a touch of sour brightness in its place.
Ethiopian food tends to be really spicy, so feel free to use extra Berbere Seasoning if you want to spice it up more! You can also provide a shaker of Berbere on the table like they do in Ethiopia, so each of your guests can add a little extra to spice up their own portion.
You can absolutely make this ahead - Doro Wat is one of those dishes that tastes even better on the second day. Heat it up over a little butter melted in a Dutch oven. If you don’t have injera, Doro Wat is nice served with rice (although this isn’t traditional). And if you have leftovers, it also makes a great rice bowl, along with the collards, hard boiled eggs, and whatever else you served with it.