Doro Wat Ethiopian Chicken Stew
This popular Ethiopian recipe, also spelled doro wett, is served in homes as well as in local restaurants, and is eaten with injera, the spongy bread served at most meals. Saba Hailemichael, sous chef at Casablanca, provided the recipe. Ingredients such as niter kebbeh and berbere are available from such specialty stores as the Merkato Market on East Colfax Avenue. Serves 6.
Ingredients
1 2-pound chicken, cut into pieces
3/4 cup water
1/2 red onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup niter kebbeh (recipe follows)
3 onions, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups water
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup berbere (recipe below, or use chile powder)
6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
Directions
Place chicken pieces in a large bowl. Add 3/4 cup water, chopped red onion and salt and marinate chicken 10-15 minutes. Rinse each piece, removing any white liquid with a knife. Set aside.
In a heavy-bottomed stock pot or sauté pan, heat niter kebbeh and sauté chopped onions until golden brown. Add garlic and sauté 5 minutes. Add 2 cups water, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg and berbere. Simmer, adding water if mixture thickens too much. Add prepared chicken to the pot and simmer 30-40 minutes more, uncovered, or until chicken is tender and mixture has thickened.
Remove from heat and serve with hard-boiled eggs on injera with a side of salad and extra pieces of injera to eat with. No fair cheating with knives and forks.
Berbere
This blend of chile peppers and about eight ground spices varies from household to household. Stored in an airtight container, it will keep for up to 6 months. It might include:
1 teaspoon ground fenugreek
1/2 cup ground serrano or other chiles
1/2 cup paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 teaspoons ginger
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
Niter Kebbeh
In Ethiopia, niter kebbeh (also spelled “nit’ir qibe”) is a flavored butter similar to Indian ghee. It can be purchased ready-made or you can make your own.
Ingredients
2 pounds unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 onion, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons minced garlic
4 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 1-inch cinnamon stick piece
1 whole clove
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Directions
In a large saucepan, melt butter slowly over medium heat; do not let it brown. Bring butter to a boil. Stir in onion, garlic, ginger, turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, clove and nutmeg. Reduce heat and simmer low, uncovered and undisturbed, for 45 minutes. Milk solids on the bottom of the pan should be golden brown, and the butter on top will be transparent.
Slowly pour the clear liquid into a bowl, straining through cheesecloth. It is important that no solids remain.
Transfer kebbeh into a jar. Cover tightly and refrigerate. It will keep up to 6 weeks.
Yatakelete Kilkl | Yellow Cabbage with Carrot and Potato with Collard Greens and Lentil Stew
Many Ethiopians are vegetarians, or eat vegetables more frequently than the average American. This is a traditional vegetarian meal. In this meal, portions of each dish are placed on an arrangement of injera layered around each plate. If spicy foods scare you, decrease the jalapeños. Collard greens are sold bagged and rinsed at Safeway and Albertson’s grocery stores. From Saba Haile michael at Casabalanca, serves 4-6.
Ingredients
1/4 cup peanut or vegetable oil
6 small potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 pound carrots, scrubbed and sliced into chunks
1 onion, chopped coarse
2 pounds cabbage, cored and cut into chunks
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons finely chopped ginger root
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon turmeric
2 jalapeños, sliced
2 cups water
6 green onions cut into 2-inch lengths
Directions
In a large stockpot, heat oil and sauté potatoes, carrots and onion, stirring frequently to keep them from sticking. Add cabbage, garlic, ginger and salt, and stir until vegetables begin to release liquid.
Stir in turmeric, jalapeños and water. Simmer until vegetables are softened, adding water as necessary. Correct seasonings, add green onions and simmer for another 10-15 minutes, or until onions soften.
Ethiopian Style Collard Greens
Ingredients
1/4 peanut or vegetable oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
1 3-pound bunch (or bag) collard greens, chopped
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
Directions
Heat oil in a medium pan on medium-high heat. Sauté onion until translucent. Add jalapeño and sauté about 10 minutes. Add greens, water and salt, and simmer until greens are done, adding water as necessary.
Yemiserwet Lentil Stew
Ingredients
1/4 cup of peanut or vegetable oil
1 cup onions, finely chopped
1 clove garic, finely minced
1 cup red lentils
1 cup vegetable stock (or 1 cup water and 1 large vegetable bouillon cube)
1 tablespoon berbere (below right) or red chile powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions
In a large pan over medium-high heat, brown onions in oil. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add lentils, stock, berbere or chile powder and salt, and simmer over low heat 30 minutes or until lentils are soft and contents are thickened.
Za’atar
This recipe, one of chef Marcus Samuelsson’s favorite North African spice blends, is taken from his new book, “The Soul of a New Cuisine.” It is an encylopedic cookbook devoted to African foods interwoven with history. This delicate and fragrant blend has a distinctive citrus-y flavor from the sumac and a rich texture that make it an excellent rub for fish, poultry, or meats. It can also add bright flavor to soup and stews. Mixed 3 to 1 with olive oil, za’atar makes a delicious dip for bread.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons ground sumac
1 teaspoon salt
Directions
Toast sesame seeds in a small sauté pan over low heat until golden brown, about 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Mix together thyme, oregano, and sumac in a small bowl, then stir in the sesame seeds and salt. Store in a tightly sealed container in a cool, dark place for up to three weeks.
Injera | Ethiopian Flatbread
From “The Soul of a New Cuisine,” by Marcus Samuelsson, who says, “When I explain Ethiopian food to people who have never had it before, I always start by telling them about injera, because it’s what makes Ethiopian food special. This sour, spongy bread is a staple of Ethiopian cooking and is served at nearly every meal. In Ethiopia, injera dough is made from a sourdough starter and teff (a grain that is often available at health food and organic stores in the United States) and is allowed to ferment for three days. My version maintains the nature of injera but streamlines it to be doable in American kitchens by offering the option to substitute whole-wheat flour for teff flour, adding baking soda for leavening in place of the traditional starter, and using yogurt to add the characteristic sourness.” Look for teff flour at Vitamin Cottage or order it from bobsredmill.com. Makes 12 flatbreads.
Ingredients
2 cups teff flour or whole-wheat flour
(don’t use stone-ground flour)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plain yogurt
3 cups club soda
2 tablespoons clarified butter
Directions
Whisk together teff or whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
Whisk yogurt into the club soda, then stir into flour mixture to make a smooth, thin batter. Pour through a sieve or strainer to remove lumps.
Grease a large skillet with clarified butter and heat over medium-high heat. Pour 1/2 cup of batter into the pan in a spiral, starting at the center, and cook for 20 seconds.
Put a lid on the pan and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Transfer to a plate and cover with a cloth to keep warm while you cook the remaining injera.
Merguez Sausage
Adapted from a recipe by Marcus Samuelsson, author of “The Soul of a New Cuisine.” He associates this flavorful sausage with Ramadan because many of the Muslim staff members at his New York restaurant, Aquavit, bring it in to break their fast during the month-long religious celebration (which ends Oct. 31). “Unlike many other sausages, which are made with pork, merguez sausages originated in North Africa, where they are made with lamb or beef to comply with Islamic law and spicy with fiery harissa, which gives them heat and a beautiful red color,” Samuelsson says. Beef or poultry merguez is available from International Market in Denver in case you want to try it out before making it yourself. Serves 4-6.
Ingredients
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 pounds ground lamb
8 ounces ground dark chicken meat
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons harissa
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped mint
1/2 cup olive oil
Directions
Toast cumin, coriander and cayenne in a small sauté pan until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat and cool.
Combine toasted spices, lamb, chicken, garlic, harissa, salt, parsley and mint in a large bowl and mix well by hand. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Using wet hands to keep the mixture from sticking, shape lamb mixture into 24 golf-ball- size balls.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add meatballs, in batches if necessary, and brown on all sides, turning frequently, about 8 minutes. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels.
Arrange meatballs on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until cooked through.
Serve with a green salad, rice pilaf or couscous and a green vegetable such as baby green beans or spinach.
Shrimp Piri Piri
Piri Piri, the national dish of Mozambique, is typically served with rice to cut the spiciness. Marcus Samuelsson, author of “The Soul of a New Cuisine,” says that after the first bite, “I could see why it’s so popular, not only in Mozambique but also throughout the southern regions of Africa and in Brazilian and Portuguese cooking.” Serves 4 as an appetizer.
Ingredients
12 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons Piri Piri (see recipe below)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 lime, quartered
12 Bibb lettuce leaves
Directions
Toss the shrimp with 1/2 cup of piri piri in a large bowl. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add shrimp and cook for 2 minutes on each side, or until opaque throughout. Transfer to a plate and sprinkle with the salt. Squeeze lime quarters over the shrimp.
Spread 1/2 teaspoon of the remaining piri piri sauce on each lettuce leaf. Place a shrimp on each leaf and fold over bottom and sides to form a wrap. Serve immediately.
Piri Piri
This is a very hot sauce, made with one of the world’s hottest chiles. In fact, the phrase “piri piri” is the Swahili term for “hot chile.” You have been warned. The sauce is served with fish, shellfish and chicken. To reduce heat, remove seeds and membranes. Makes 1 cup.
Ingredients
8 chopped red bird’s-eye chiles,
seeds and ribs removed
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup olive oil
Directions
Combine chiles, lemon juice, cilantro, parsley and garlic in a blender and purée until smooth. With the blender running, add oil in a slow, steady stream and blend until well combined. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks.
Tagine of Lamb with Prunes
A tagine is a slowly simmered Moroccan stew, with roots in medieval cuisine where sweetness once meant wealth. Sweet tagines are particularly popular in Fez, where Denver restaurateur Said Benjelloun, chef/owner of Casablanca, was born. The combination of lamb and prunes produces a complex, sweet sauce that’s perfect with steamed couscous, rice pilaf or crusty bread. This recipe is adapted from the one served at Casablanca. The tagine can be made in advance and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Serves 6.
Ingredients
1 pound dried prunes, pitted
1 cup blanched almonds
1/2 cup sesame seeds
3 pounds lamb, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
2 large yellow onions, peeled and grated
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup honey, divided use
3 strips of lemon peel
1 cinnamon stick, broken into 3 pieces
Directions
Place prunes in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring pot to a boil, cover and remove from heat, allowing prunes to steep for 20 minutes. Set aside.
In a small, dry frying pan, stir almonds over medium-high heat until they are golden brown. Take care not to let them scorch. Pour into a plate and set aside to cool.
Using the same pan, repeat the process, stirring sesame seeds over a medium-high heat until they are golden. Pour onto a plate and set aside to cool.
Place lamb, onions, olive oil, salt, pepper and ginger in a large bowl. Using your hands, mix well, rubbing the oil and spices into each cube of lamb.
Transfer prepared meat to a enameled cast-iron pot or a heavy stock pot. Add butter and enough water to cover lamb. Simmer over medium heat for 45 minutes, or until meat is tender.
Add half of the honey, lemon peel and the cinnamon and simmer for another 20 minutes. Stir in remaining honey and heat thoroughly. Transfer stew to a large platter and garnish with prunes, sesame seeds and almonds.
