After buying some berbere spice mix, it’s been on bloody everything since! It’s so delicious… thankfully I used the last of it for this simple chicken stew from Ethiopia. The spice mix really adds depth of flavour to this dish. Maybe now I can eat something that isn’t Ethiopian…

RECIPE:

INGREDIENTS:
4 tablespoons ghee (or vegetable oil)
700g chicken thighs (cut into large chunks)
2 onions (chopped)
6 garlic cloves (chopped)
4 tablespoons berbere spice mix
3 tomatoes (roughly chopped)
2 tablespoons tomato puree
4 peels of lemon zest
salt & pepper
1 tablespoon fresh coriander (chopped)

DIRECTIONS:
Heat a large pan with the ghee over a moderate heat. Fry the chicken for 5-6 minutes until brown on all sides. Remove from the pan add a little more ghee then fry the onion and garlic for 4 minutes until soft and golden brown. Add the berbere, stir for 1 minute then add the tomatoes, tomato puree, lemon zest, 320ml water and chicken to the pan. Stir well until it comes to a simmer. Reduce the heat and simmer for 35 minutes. Stir in the coriander and salt and pepper to your taste. Squeeze over a little lemon juice just before serving.

SERVING:
Serve with flatbreads or rice.

These little patties were the star of the show! The delicious aromatic Berbere spice mix brings a fragrance and taste to these that is just glorious. The crunch of the crumbed crust works perfectly with the soft, creamy texture inside. All it needs is a little yoghurt on the side to finish it (and me) off!

RECIPE:

INGREDIENTS:
For the patties:
1 x 400g can chickpeas
1 medium red onion (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
1 egg
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon fresh dill (chopped)
1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley (chopped)
1 teaspoon Ethiopian Berbere spice mix
1/2 lemon (juice of)
salt & freshly ground black pepper

Other Ingredients:
vegetable oil (for frying)
3 tablespoons breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons plain flour
1 egg (lightly beaten)

DIRECTIONS:
Place the chickpeas, onion, garlic, egg, dill, parsley, berbere, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a food processor and process into a chunky smooth paste. Gradually stir in the breadcrumbs till you can form balls without it sticking.

Arrange three bowls one with the flour, one with egg and the last with breadcrumbs. Roll a golf ball sized amount of the mixture into the flour, then the egg, then finally the breadcrumbs. Flatten out into a pattie and arrange on a plate while you make the rest.

Heat a little oil (2-3 tablespoons) in a frying pan until just smoking. Cook a batch of 4 patties for about 2-3 minutes per side till golden brown. Add a little more oil between batches.

Serve hot.

SERVING:
Serve with meat or fish or even on their own with a spoonful of Greek yoghurt on the side. I served mine with a delicious Ethiopian Berbere spiced pork cutlet and refreshing apple and fennel salad. Berbere spice mix is available from speciality stores and deli’s. Try middle eastern and african stores. If you can’t find it, make your own HERE.

Berbere is an Ethiopian spice mix. I’d seen it on TV recently and when I saw some in my local deli, I chucked it into the basket. Once home, I decided to make a simple spice rub on some rather expensive pork cutlets I’d bought in a moment of madness. The spice mix is a cornucopia of ingredients reminiscent of Indian curry powder. That said, It has a milder, more aromatic temperament than its Indian counterpart and it worked brilliantly on the pork. I accompanied this with a deliciously refreshing APPLE & FENNEL SALAD and CHICKPEA PATTIES, both of which worked perfectly with the meat. All in all, it was pretty refreshing – just what we needed in the sweltering 35ºC heat of a Sydney evening.

RECIPE:

INGREDIENTS:
Pork Marinade:
2 large pork cutlets cutlets (250-300g each)
2 teaspoons berbere spice mix
1/2 lemon (juice of)
salt & pepper
2 tablespoon olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
To marinade the meat, mix all the marinade ingredients together in a plastic bag. Seal and and leave in the fridge for at least 1 hour, overnight is best.

Preheat the oven to 160ºC. Heat a griddle pan and cook the pork for 4-5 minutes per side until browned. Place the pan in the oven for 5 minutes then remove and sit for 1 minute to rest. Serve hot.

SERVING:
Serve the pork with vegetables. Or as I did with the apple and fennel salad and chickpea patties. (recipe’s to follow).

Berbere spice mix is available from speciality stores and deli’s. Try middle eastern and african stores. If you can’t find it, HERE is a recipe.