Doro Wat with Homemade Niter Kibbeh and Honey-Wine Finish

Method

1. Make the niter kibbeh first. Melt the butter in a small 14 cm pan on low heat, then add about 1 clove of garlic and a few coins of ginger, thinly sliced, with the fenugreek, a little over half the cardamom, the cumin, oregano and turmeric. Don't stir; let it bubble very gently for 20 min, until the white foam has sunk and the solids on the bottom are light gold. Strain through a sieve lined with paper towel to collect the clear spiced butter. If the solids go past brown towards black, the butter turns bitter, so keep the heat really low.

   Add in this stepUnsalted butter 60 gGarlic cloves 1Fresh ginger 3 gFenugreek seeds ½ tspGreen cardamom pods, lightly crushed 1¾Ground cumin ½ tspDried oregano (stands in for besobela) ½ tspGround turmeric ¼ tsp

   low heat

2. While the kibbeh bubbles, cut 2 deep slashes into each skinless chicken piece and soak it for 10 min in cold water with the lemon juice and part of the salt, then rinse and pat completely dry. Grate the remaining garlic and ginger.

   Add in this stepChicken thighs and drumsticks (bone-in, skin removed) 700 gLemon 1Salt ¼ tsp

3. Mince the onions very finely in a food processor and put them in a dry, heavy 22 cm pot. Cook on medium heat to drive off the moisture, then lower to medium-low heat and keep stirring often for 35 min in total. Whenever they catch, add a tablespoon of water and scrape the bottom. They should shrink to about a third and become a dark, purple-brown jam; this is what gives the sauce its sweetness and body.

   Add in this stepRed onions 650 g

   medium heat→medium-low heat

4. Add two-thirds of your kibbeh with the grated garlic and ginger and cook on medium-low heat for 3 min until fragrant. Add the berbere, lower to low heat and cook for 6 min, scraping the bottom, until the fat turns red and pools at the edges and it smells toasty. Add a tablespoon of water whenever it looks dry.

   Add in this stepGarlic cloves 4Fresh ginger 12 gBerbere spice blend 3½ tbsp

   medium-low heat→low heat

5. Pour in the white wine and honey (a stand-in for Ethiopian tej, honey wine) and let it bubble on medium heat for 2 min, scraping up the browned bits, until the sharp alcohol smell has gone.

   Add in this stepDry white wine 60 mlHoney 1½ tsp

   medium heat

6. Add the chicken, turn to coat, then add the stock and salt. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat, cover, lower to medium-low heat and simmer for 35 min, shaking the pot or stirring gently every 10 minutes. It is done when the meat slides off the bone and reads 74 °C at the thickest part.

   Add in this stepChicken stock (low-salt) 350 mlSalt 0.4 tsp

   medium-high heat→medium-low heat

7. While the chicken simmers, lower the eggs into boiling water and cook on medium heat for 9 min, then chill in iced water and peel; this gives a just-set, slightly moist yolk. Score each egg with 4–5 shallow cuts.

   Add in this stepEggs 2

   medium heat

8. Crush the seeds from the remaining cardamom and add them with the rest of the kibbeh, the black pepper and the eggs. Simmer uncovered on low heat for 10 min, until the sauce clings thickly to a spoon and red butter glistens on top, then season with the remaining salt. Turn off the heat, cover and rest for 10 min so the flavours settle. Serve on injera with a spoonful of ayib (or ricotta) to cool the heat.

   Add in this stepGreen cardamom pods, lightly crushed 1¼Coarsely ground black pepper ½ tspSalt ¼ tspInjera 2Ayib (Ethiopian fresh cheese) or ricotta 60 g

   low heat