Genfo
Ethiopia's hearty breakfast porridge: toasted barley flour stirred into boiling water until thick, shaped into a mound and filled with berbere butter, ringed with yogurt.
Method
Put the barley flour in a dry 24 cm frying pan and toast it over medium-low heat for , stirring constantly, until it's a shade darker and smells nutty. Tip it into a bowl. If your barley flour is already roasted, skip this step.
Add in this stepBarley flour (roasted, if you can find it) 160 g
medium-low heatBring the water and salt to a rolling boil in a heavy-based 18 cm pot over high heat, which takes about .
Add in this stepWater 550 mlSalt ½ tsp
high heatTurn the heat down to medium-low heat. Stirring hard with a wooden spoon, sprinkle in the flour a little at a time. Once it's all in, keep stirring for , pressing any lumps against the side of the pot. It's ready when it's very thick, smooth and glossy and comes together in one mass that pulls away from the sides. The hot porridge can spit, so use a long-handled spoon and hold the pot firmly.
medium-low heatMelt the butter in a small 14 cm pan over low heat, add the berbere and stir for until fragrant. Keep the heat low so the butter just foams and the berbere doesn't burn.
Add in this stepButter (or niter kibbeh) 35 gBerbere 2 tsp
low heatWet the inside of a bowl with cold water, pack the genfo into it, then turn it out onto a plate as a smooth dome. Use the back of a wet spoon or the base of a small cup to press a deep well into the top, and pour in the berbere butter. Spoon the yogurt around the base.
Add in this stepPlain yogurt 160 g
Pull off bite-sized pieces from the outside, by hand or with a spoon, and dip them into the butter and the yogurt. The inside stays very hot, so take care.
Cook's tip
Adding the flour all at once makes lumps, so always sprinkle it in while stirring; any lumps that do form can be squashed against the side of the pot. No barley flour? Whole-wheat flour works too, though the texture is stickier.
Cooking it at camp
It works at camp with a heavy pot on a burner. Toast the flour at home and bring it in a zip bag, and keep the yogurt in the cooler. Use a windshield: wind weakens the flame and makes it take longer.