Doro Wot

Ethiopian chicken stew with hard-boiled eggs

Ingredients

• 2 chicken legs, split
• 1 lime or lemon, quartered
• 40 grams berbere
• 1 cup plus 3 Tablespoons hot water, divided
• 4 medium onions, minced
• 3 Tablespoons canola oil
• 3 Tablespoons niter kebbeh, divided
• 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated ginger
• pinch ground nigella seeds
• pinch ground cardamom
• pinch ground ajowan
• 1/2 teaspoon mekelesha
• 4 hard-boiled eggs
• kosher salt, to taste

Directions

Remove the skin from the chicken legs. Rinse well, then place in a bowl of cold water with the lime to soak.

In a small bowl, whisk together the berbere and 3 Tablespoons of hot water to form a thick paste. Set aside.

In a heavy-bottomed sauté pan, cook the onion over a medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 15 minutes. Stir in the oil, 2 Tablespoons of niter kebbeh, garlic, and ginger, and cook until aromatic, about 1 minute. Stir in the berbere paste, nigella, cardamom, and ajowan, and season generously with salt. Add a couple of spoonfuls of water, and cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add water as necessary to prevent scorching.

Drain the chicken and gently squeeze to remove excess water. With a sharp knife, lightly score each piece with a pair of diagonal slits. Add the chicken to the pan, stir to coat it with the sauce, and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the remaining 1 cup of hot water, cover the pot, and simmer 1 hour 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and tender.

Remove the chicken to a plate raise the heat to high, and boil until the sauce thickens to a loose consistency. Turn off the heat and stir in the remaining 1 Tablespoon of niter kebbeh. Return the chicken to the pan along with the eggs, and serve.