Berbere Chicken & Onion Pot

Name: Berbere Chicken & Onion Pot
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients: 400 g Boneless skinless chicken thighs; 200 g Onion; 300 g Canned crushed tomatoes; 3 cloves Garlic; 15 g Fresh ginger; 2 tsp Berbere spice blend; 1 tsp Paprika; 1.5 tbsp Neutral cooking oil; 150 g Long grain rice; 2 whole Egg; 1530 ml Water; 0.5 tsp Salt

A deep red onion-and-tomato sauce surrounds tender chicken, with a firm-yolk egg and plain rice to soften the warmth of berbere.

70 minutes · Easy · 2 servings

Original house recipe · Not yet kitchen-tested

Ingredients

Boneless skinless chicken thighs400 g
Onion200 g
Canned crushed tomatoes300 g
Garlic3 cloves
Fresh ginger15 g
Berbere spice blend2 tsp
Paprika1 tsp
Neutral cooking oil1.5 tbsp
Long grain rice150 g
Egg2 whole
Water1530 ml
Salt0.5 tsp

Quantities describe recipe usage, not package sizes.

Allergen notes

Egg. Check the berbere blend for mustard and other allergens.

Method

Build the onion base

Peel and finely chop the onion, garlic and ginger. Heat the oil in a heavy 24 cm saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook for 18–20 minutes, stirring often, until very soft and lightly golden. If it catches, use a little of the 50 ml water reserved for adjusting the sauce. Stir in the garlic and ginger for 2 minutes, then the berbere and paprika for 30 seconds.

Simmer the chicken

Stir in the tomatoes, 120 ml water and the salt; simmer for 5 minutes. On a separate board, cut the chicken into 4 cm pieces without rinsing it. Add to the bubbling sauce, cover with the lid slightly ajar and simmer gently for 22–28 minutes, stirring occasionally, until every piece reaches 74°C (165°F) at its thickest point. Clean raw-poultry tools and surfaces.

Cook the rice alongside

While the chicken simmers, rinse the rice and put it in a small saucepan with 360 ml water. Bring to a boil, cover and cook over the lowest heat for 15–18 minutes, until the water is absorbed and the grains are tender. Take off the heat and leave covered for 5 minutes.

Hard-cook the eggs

Meanwhile, put the eggs in a small saucepan with 1 litre of the measured water, enough to cover them by about 2 cm. Bring to a boil, lower to a gentle simmer and cook for 11–12 minutes, until both yolks and whites are firm. Cool under cold running water, peel and halve lengthways.

Finish the pot

If the cooked chicken sauce is thin, simmer uncovered for 3–5 minutes; if too thick, add the remaining reserved water a little at a time. Divide the rice and chicken between two plates and place two egg halves on each. Serve hot, with no additional toppings.

Choose a mild berbere blend and check its heat and salt level before cooking. This is a quicker boneless-chicken house pot, not a claim to a traditional long-cooked preparation.

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