Ethiopian: Doro Wat (Berbere Chicken Stew) 

Recipe by Paul Young <info@cooking-with-paul.com>

(serves 6)

Ingredients:

• 6 boneless chicken thighs (about 2 lbs)
• 4 tablespoons ghee
• 2 yellow onions, chopped (about 1½ cups)
• 1 leek, minced
• 2 bulbs garlic, minced (about 24 cloves)
• 4 cups water (approximate)
• 1 celery heart, chopped
• 6 tablespoons Berbere spice mix (see master recipe)
• 3 tablespoons chicken base
• 1½ cup carrots, chopped
• 1 can diced tomatoes (14 oz)
• 1½ cup celery, diced
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 1 yellow squash, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• ⅓ cup ginger paste (approx 3 oz)
• 2 tablespoons dried basil
• 2 teaspoons ground cayenne pepper
• 5 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika (skip if spice mix contains paprika)
• salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons unsalted mashed potato flakes (approximate)
• chopped cilantro to garnish

Procedure:

1. Brown the chicken in ½ of the ghee, set aside
2. Start the stew in a big soup pot: saute onion, leek, garlic in rest of the ghee
3. Add the water, celery hearts, spice mix, chicken base, and browned chicken along with the pan drippings; cover and bring to a boil
4. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes
5. Increase the heat and cook for another 20 minutes while adding the rest of the veggies one item at a time in the following order: carrots, tomatoes, celery, zucchini, squash, green pepper (bring the stew to a boil after adding each item)
6. Add the seasoning: soy sauce, ginger paste, cayenne pepper, paprika and salt
7. Adjust seasoning for taste and color
8. Thicken stew with mashed potato flakes
9. Serve on injera flatbread, garnish with cilantro