“In Ethiopia, chicken is a festive ingredient reserved for special days. Among Jews it is reserved for holidays and the Sabbath,” says artist and chef Elazar Tamano. This dish is inspired by doro wat, a chicken stew loaded with onions that’s a staple of Ethiopian Shabbat tables. “It’s a kind of Ethiopian cholent,” Elazar adds. Traditionally, the chicken is stewed in the sauce alongside and finished with hard-boiled eggs. In this version, which is Elazar’s own creation, the eggs are jammy and the chicken is shredded atop injera.
Cook’s note: Chewu, a chili paste used in this recipe, is available at Ethiopian spice shops like Sod Hakesem in Yehud. If you can’t find it, you can substitute berbere, which is available at larger spice shops and specialty grocery stores.
Check out recipes for kitfo (a beef tartare), injera, and more from Elazar’s collection here.
Ingredients
- Ingredients:
- 2.2 pounds / 1 kg chicken drumsticks
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 3 small red onions (180 grams), finely chopped
- 1 cup water
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1½ tablespoons finely chopped ginger
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, or pomegranate molasses
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons chewu
- ⅔ cup crushed tomatoes
- 1½ cups chicken stock or water
- For the tomato salsa:
- 2 tomatoes, quartered
- 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- Salt
- Ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- To serve:
- 4 tablespoons tahini sauce
- 2 jammy 7-minutes eggs, quartered
- 1-2 injera (see the recipe)
Preparation
- Prepare the chicken: Preheat the oven to 425°F / 220°C. Mix the chicken drumsticks with olive oil, salt, and pepper, transfer to a baking sheet and roast for 40 minutes. Cool and separate the meat from the bones.
- Simultaneously, heat a large, dry pot. Add the onion and stir for 1 minute. Pour 1 cup water, and cook over medium heat until the onions soften and the water has completely evaporated.
- Add garlic, ginger and 2 tablespoons of olive oil and fry for 1 minute. Add balsamic vinegar, sugar, tomato paste, and chewu and stir for 2 minutes, until the flavors are released. Add the crushed tomatoes and the stock, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium. Stirring occasionally, cook to a thick, deep-flavored sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your taste.
- Add the chicken, mix well and cook over medium-low heat until the chicken has absorbed the sauce, about 15 minutes.
- Prepare the tomato salsa: use a sharp knife to remove the tomato core and seeds. Finely chop the flesh and mix with cilantro and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
- To serve: Place the chicken with the sauce over an injera and drizzle tahini on top. Top with the tomato salsa, arrange the quartered egg around and serve.
