Why Everyone Loves This Ethiopian Fried Chicken in D.C. — The Experts

chicken

🥗Healthier: skinless chicken

💰Cheaper: chicken thighs

Skinless chicken is lower in fat; chicken thighs are often cheaper than breasts.

butter

🥗Healthier: olive oil

💰Cheaper: margarine

Olive oil is healthier; margarine is often less expensive.

Butcher the chicken, removing unnecessary fat and keeping the bone on.

Make a dry rub with garlic powder, black pepper, herb mix, and turmeric.

Add berbere spice to the dry rub.

Let the dry rub sit on the chicken for 1-2 hours to penetrate flavors.

Prepare a marinade with half a gallon of buttermilk and half a gallon of butter.

Mix in a triple blend of flours: bread flour, all-purpose flour, and self-rising flour.

Whisk the marinade to keep it lumpy for better adherence to the chicken.

Prepare kbe, a seasoned spiced butter, using clarified butter and adding Ethiopian basil and coer.

Cook onions for 1-2 hours to make doro wat, adding garlic and ginger as moisture decreases.

Add kbe to the onion mixture and cook until fat separates from the onions.

Incorporate cheese into the doro wat for flavor.

Dredge marinated chicken in a triple flour and starch blend before frying.

Double fry the chicken, first at a lower temperature (300-325°F) and then flash fry at 350°F for extra crunch.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary