Doro Wot: A fragrant Ethiopian chicken dish

October 31, 2019

(Quentin Bacon)

Serves 6-8

This recipe originally appeared on The Nosher.

Israel has a large Ethiopian Jewish community, but the majority of Israelis are not familiar with their unique cuisine. I, however, have always felt super connected with Ethiopian culture, partly because I had Ethiopian girlfriends when I was young and partly because it reminds me of my Yemenite father’s culture.

The fragrance of this dish, the fenugreek in particular, transports me back to my childhood home. In an Ethiopian kitchen, this dish would be served with injera, the Ethiopian spongy flatbread that’s perfect for mopping up sauce, but you can substitute with a Yemenite pancake called lachoh, which is quite similar and very delicious.

Ingredients

6 bone-in, skin-on chicken legs, separated into thighs and drumsticks

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more as needed

1/4 cup canola oil

2 large onions, finely diced or chopped

3 garlic cloves, smashed

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon ground fenugreek seed or leaf

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed

6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled

2 1/4 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock, or water

Steps

1. Rub the chicken with the lemon juice and 1 tablespoon salt. Let it sit for 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy-based wide skillet or Dutch oven (large enough to hold the chicken in one snug layer) over medium heat, add the onions and the remaining 1 tablespoon salt, and saute gently until fragrant, golden brown and sweet, about 20 minutes. Do not let the onions actually brown.

3. Add the garlic, cumin, ginger, cardamom, turmeric, paprika, fenugreek and pepper, and stir for a minute so the spices bloom in the oil. Nestle the chicken pieces and the eggs into the pan and pour in the broth.

4. Cover the pan and adjust the heat to a solid simmer. Cook for about 30 minutes. Then remove the lid (so the sauce will reduce and thicken a bit) and continue to simmer until the chicken is very tender when poked with a knife and the juices run clear (or until the thickest part of the thigh or drumstick reaches 165 F. on an instant-read thermometer), 45-60 minutes.

5. Taste and adjust with more salt or pepper.

6. Serve with lachoh to mop up the delicious sauce. Serves 6-8.