Doro Wett and Injera

When I was growing up my mom had a student and friend who by herself - as barely an adolescent - left Eritrea and somehow made her way to Iowa. She was, and remains, an amazing example of triumph and accomplishment. I have a very vivid memory of her coming to our house and making a traditional Eritrean meal. It was incredible. This recipe is my first attempt at re-creating, what I remember to be, an extraordinary adventure in food. I combined and adjusted several recipes and ended with a dish which was fairly similar to what my mom's friend made for us a couple of decades ago.

Doro Wett (Chicken Stew)

Needed for Consumption:

2 medium onions, diced
1/2 stick unsalted butter, divided

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3 freshly ground cloves
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, diced

1/2 Tbsp. chili power
1/2 Tsbp. cup paprika
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. onion powder
1 1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground allspice

2 1/2 cups chicken stock, divided
4-6 chicken drumsticks, skin removed

1/4 cup dry red wine
Juice of 1 lime
4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled

How To:

Combine onions, a pinch of salt, and half of the butter in a Dutch oven over low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden, about 15 minutes. Add the remaining butter, and dry spices, cook until the onions soften and take on the color of the spices, about 10 minutes. Add 2 cups of the chicken stock and chicken, bring to simmer for 15 minutes. Add the remaining 1/2 cup chicken stock and wine, simmer for 30 minutes. Gently stir in the lime juice and eggs and simmer for another 5 minutes. The sauce will be loose and soupy. Season with salt to taste.

Injera (Ethiopian Crepe)

Needed for Consumption:

1 1/2 cups All-purpose flour

1/2 cup Whole wheat flour

1 Tbsp. Baking powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
2 1/2 cups Club soda
Juice of 2 lemons

How To:

Preheat skillet over low-medium heat. Mix the flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder and salt together. Stir in club soda and mix to a smooth batter. It should have the thin consistency of a pancake batter. Wipe the skillet with a little oil using a paper towel. Ladle 1/2 cup of the batter into the skillet and spread with a spatula to make a large crepe. Bake until all the bubbles on top burst and begin to dry out, about 2-3 minutes. Carefully turn the injera over and cook on second side another 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a warm platter and repeat with the rest of the batter, wiping the skillet clean with an oiled paper towel each time. Brush each injera with lemon juice. Serve immediately or hold covered in a warm oven.