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Doro Wat

Way back in September I went to a steampunk event at a small brewery; The Cat Asylum in Collingham, near Newark On Trent in Nottinghamshire. As we wandered round the stalls and chatted to friends the aromas from the food stalls filled the air and none was more tempting than the one from the Ethiopian stall as it wafted towards us as we passed by. Of course we had to stop and investigate.  They were serving what I would describe as a taster plate, a little of everything, all served with an Injera, a bit like a spongy pancake, to mop it all up. The food was so tasty I had to look up some recipes when I got home to see if I could reproduce my favourite bits. 

I found quite a few recipes so decided to have a go. I chose to make the Doro Wat; a spicy chicken stew; with a side of Gomen made with spring greens; which were very tasty and so easy to do I might make them to go with other meals. I also made the Berbere spice from scratch since i can only get it on line. I didn’t even attempt the Injera since the preparation is quite time consuming as you have to ferment the batter for 4 days; a bit like sourdough; and I’m far too impatient for that. Which is why I cheated and cut the cooking time down by using the pressure cooker rather than taking all day on the stovetop. I also left out the boiled eggs since Paul wasn’t too keen and it didn’t seem to make any difference to the enjoyment of the meal. I found the original recipes here.

Ingredients
  • 2 chicken thighs or breasts, diced
  • 2 tbs lemon juice
  • 1 large onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 1 inch fresh ginger, finely minced
  • 2 tbs butter
  • 1cup chicken stock
  • ¼ cup Ethiopian berbere spice
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 tbs butter
  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • ½ cup white wine with 1 tsp honey added
  • 4 hard boiled eggs
Method
  1. Place the chicken pieces in a bowl and pour lemon juice over. Let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
  2. Place the onion in a food processor and whizz into a chunky  puree.
  3. Select SEAR/SAUTÉ and heat the butter and olive oil.
  4. Add the onions and saute until they start to caremelise, stirring occasionally.
  5. Add the garlic, ginger and continue to saute for a further 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  6. Add the berbere spice and the 2 remaining tablespoons of butter and sauté until spices become aromatic
  7. Add the chicken, broth, salt and wine and bring to a boil.
  8. Turn off SEAR/SAUTÉ and select PRESSURE and cook in Hi for 15 minutes then Quick Release. 
  9. Adjust the seasonings, adding more berbere according to heat preference. Add the boiled eggs and simmer on low heat, covered, for another 15 minutes.
  10. Half or quarter the eggs and arrange on the plates with the stew. Serve over rice with a side of Gomen.

Gomen

Ingredients
  • 250-300g spring greens or kale, shredded
  • 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 cm fresh ginger, minced
  • 2tbs butter
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • ½ tsp salt
Method
  1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. 
  2. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. 
  3. Add the garlic, ginger and spices, cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
  4. Add the greens and a knob of butter and combine with the onions and spices.
  5. Cover and simmer until the greens have wilted and still slightly crisp.
  6. Serve and enjoy.
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