Berbere Chicken Stew with Injera Bread

This is a recipe that I made out of the blue several years ago. My husband and I gone to snoop around our local Penzeys Spice store (yes, I'm a spice nerd, and proud of it) when I was introduce to the spice blend Berbere, pronounced "bear-ber-ay." Berbere is a versatile ingredient (a spicy mix of dried spices) which originated in Ethiopia and Eritrea and works with almost any meat, vegetable or legume. The ingredients include spicy red chili peppers, fenugreek, ginger, coriander, cardamom, allspice, cumin, peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon in addition to other indigenous spices. It imparts a feeling of warmth, spice, earthiness with just a touch of sweetness, and it is INCREDIBLE! Do I make my own? Haha! No, of course not. Why would I when it's becoming so common on the spice aisle? So, we arrived home, and I was itching to use it, but all that I had thawed was some chicken thighs, so I Googled berbere and chicken and found a recipe for Doro Wat, which is an Ethiopian Spiced Chicken stew. Of course, Doro Wat wouldn't be the same without homemade Injera, but I didn't have 24 hours to let the dough ferment, so I did manage to find a way to make it without the wait. It was well-received and a few variations later, here's how I make mine.

BERBERE CHICKEN STEW WITH INJERA BREAD

Course: Main or Side Dish Total Time: 60 minutes Serving Size: 4

INGREDIENTS:

Berbere Chicken Stew

2 lbs chicken thighs cut into 1 inch pieces (or 2 chicken breasts if you prefer--although it's not nearly as succulent and flavorful with white meat chicken)

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

5 tbsp unsalted butter, divided

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion (any variety you prefer), finely diced

1 tbsp garlic, finely minced

1 tbsp ginger, finely minced

1/4 c. berbere spice blend

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 c. white wine

1 tsp. honey

1 c. chicken stock

Quick Injera (makes approximately 6 pancakes)

3/4 c. all-purpose flour

1/4 c. rye flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1-1/3 c. club soda

1-1/2 tbsp white vinegar

Non-stick spray

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Place chicken pieces in a bowl with lemon juice and let marinade for at least 30 minutes.

2. Heat 2 tbsp butter and olive oil in a dutch oven on low heat.

3. Add the onions and saute, covered, stirring occasionally, until translucent and tender, about 25 minutes.

4. Add the garlic, ginger and 1 tbsp of butter and continue to saute, covered, for about 20 minutes more, stirring occasionally.

5. Add the berbere spice blend and the remaining 2 tbsp and saute, covered, over low heat for about another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6. Mix the honey and the wine together until well combined.

7. Add the chicken, broth, salt and wine/honey mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for another 45 minutes.

8. Meanwhile, while the stew is simmering, add the all-purpose flour, rye flour, baking powder and salt in a food processor until well-incorporated.

9. Add the club soda to a measuring cut and add the vinegar.

10. Pour the liquid into the processor as it is running and mix until batter is completely smooth.

11. Let sit for at least 10 minutes.

12. Heat a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat and spray the skillet with a thin coating of the nonstick spray.

13. Pour 1/3 c. of the batter into the center of the skillet, swirling to coat the bottom (similar to how you would make a crepe) and cook until the edges start pulling away from the pan and the top looks shiny and bubbly. Flip and cook the other side.

14. Plate the stew in a bowl and serve with the warmed Injera.

NOTES:

1. If you are gluten intolerant, skip the Injera bread and serve over rice or grits, and it'll be just as amazing.

2. Don't have Rye Flour in the pantry? That's ok...just add an additional 1/4 c. of all-purpose flour to the mix.