Ethiopian Doro Wat (ዶሮ ወጥ) — Berbere Chicken Stew with Eggs

• 1 wholewhole chicken (about 1.8 kg, skin removed and cut into 12 bone-in pieces; use halal chicken if needed)
• 45 mlfresh lemon juice
• 6 gfine sea salt (for rubbing the chicken before rinsing)
• 6large eggs
• 900 gred onions (very finely chopped or pulsed, not pureed)
• 120 mlniter kibbeh (Ethiopian spiced clarified butter)
• 30 mlneutral oil
• 8 clovegarlic (finely grated)
• 2 inchfresh ginger (peeled and finely grated)
• 45 gberbere spice blend
• 2 tspsweet paprika (helps deepen color without adding extra heat)
• 1 tspblack pepper (freshly ground)
• 480 mlchicken stock (unsalted)
• 2 tspmekelesha spice blend (Ethiopian finishing spice blend)

Instructions

1. 1

   Rub the chicken pieces with 45 ml lemon juice and 6 g salt, then let them stand for 15 minutes. Rinse the chicken briefly under cold water and pat it very dry with paper towels so the stew does not become watery.

2. 2

   Place the eggs in a saucepan, cover with water by 2.5 cm, and bring to a full boil. Cover the pan, turn off the heat, let the eggs stand for 10 minutes, then chill them in cold water, peel them, and pierce each egg 4 times with a fork so the sauce can season them.

3. 3

   Put the finely chopped onions in a heavy Dutch oven over medium-low heat with no fat. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring every 2 to 3 minutes, until the onions lose their raw smell, give off moisture, and reduce into a thick pale paste without browning hard.

4. 4

   Add the niter kibbeh and neutral oil to the onions and stir until the fat is fully melted and absorbed. Continue cooking for 10 minutes, stirring often, until the onion base turns glossy and begins to smell sweet and deeply savory.

5. 5

   Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for 3 minutes, keeping the heat moderate so they soften without scorching. Add the berbere, paprika, 12 g salt, and black pepper, then cook for 5 minutes while stirring constantly to bloom the spices in the fat.

6. 6

   Add 240 ml of the chicken stock and stir until the spice paste loosens into a smooth sauce. Simmer for 8 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot frequently, until the berbere darkens slightly and the fat begins to glisten at the edges.

7. 7

   Add the chicken pieces and turn them several times to coat every surface with the sauce. Pour in the remaining 240 ml chicken stock, cover partially, and simmer gently for 35 to 40 minutes until the chicken is tender and fully cooked.

8. 8

   Add the peeled, pierced eggs to the pot and spoon sauce over them carefully. Simmer uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes, turning the eggs once, until the sauce is thick enough to cling to the chicken and the eggs are stained red-orange.

9. 9

   Stir in the mekelesha during the final 2 minutes of cooking to preserve its aroma. Rest the doro wat off the heat for 10 minutes before serving, because the sauce thickens and the berbere heat rounds out as it settles.

10. 10

    Serve the stew hot on a large platter lined with injera, placing the chicken pieces and eggs over the sauce. Tear extra injera by hand and use it to scoop the wat, making sure each serving receives chicken, sauce, and 1 egg.