Doro Wat

Method

1. Pull the skin off the chicken (grip it with a paper towel) and, if the pieces are large, separate thighs and drumsticks at the joint. Make 2 shallow cuts in each piece so the sauce soaks in. Put them in a bowl, cover with cold water, squeeze in the lemon juice, add the salt and soak for 10 min; this traditional wash freshens the meat. Drain, rinse and pat dry.

   Add in this stepChicken thighs and drumsticks (bone-in, skin removed) 600 gLemon 1Salt ¼ tsp

2. Chop the onions very finely, almost to a paste (a food processor makes this quick). Put them in a dry, heavy 22 cm pot with no oil and cook on medium heat, stirring often, for the first 5 minutes, then turn down to medium-low heat and keep going for 25 min in total. If they start to catch, add 1–2 tablespoons of water. They are ready when they have shrunk to less than half, turned soft and jammy, and smell sweet. This slow onion base is the heart of doro wat, so don't rush it.

   Add in this stepRed onions 450 g

   medium heat→medium-low heat

3. Add the oil and most of the niter kibbeh (keep about a third for the end), then the grated garlic and ginger. Cook on medium-low heat for 3 min, stirring, until fragrant and the garlic no longer smells raw.

   Add in this stepVegetable oil 1½ tbspNiter kibbeh (Ethiopian spiced butter) or ghee 2⅛ tbspGarlic cloves, grated 4Fresh ginger, grated 10 g

   medium-low heat

4. Stir in the berbere and tomato paste with the splash of water and cook on low heat for 5 min, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom. The paste will darken to a deep brick red and the fat will turn red. Berbere burns easily: if it smells sharp or looks black, lower the heat and add a little more water.

   Add in this stepBerbere spice blend 3 tbspTomato paste 1 tbspWater 35 ml

   low heat

5. Add the chicken and turn each piece to coat it in the sauce. Pour in the rest of the water and the salt, bring to a boil on medium-high heat, then cover, turn down to medium-low heat and simmer for 35 min, stirring every 10 minutes so nothing sticks. The chicken is done when the meat pulls away from the bone and the juices run clear (74 °C at the thickest part).

   Add in this stepWater 315 mlSalt ½ tsp

   medium-high heat→medium-low heat

6. While it simmers, put the eggs in a small pot, cover with cold water, bring to a boil and cook on medium heat for 10 min. Cool them in cold water, peel, and make 4–5 shallow cuts all around each egg so it soaks up the sauce.

   Add in this stepEggs 2

   medium heat

7. Add the eggs and the remaining niter kibbeh, uncover and simmer on low heat for 10 min, spooning sauce over the eggs, until the sauce is thick, glossy and coats the back of a spoon. Taste and add the rest of the salt if needed.

   Add in this stepNiter kibbeh (Ethiopian spiced butter) or ghee 0.9 tbspSalt ¼ tsp

   low heat

8. Spread injera on a plate, spoon the doro wat into the middle and set the eggs on top. Tear off pieces of injera to scoop it up with your hand. If you can't find injera, rice or any flatbread works too.

   Add in this stepInjera (teff flatbread), or rice 2