Ingredients
- •8 chicken drumsticks or bone-in thighs
- •2 tsp kosher salt
- •3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- •3 large red onions, very finely diced
- •4 tbsp unsalted butter (or niter kibbeh)
- •4 cloves garlic, minced
- •1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
- •3 tbsp berbere spice blend
- •1 tbsp sweet paprika
- •¼ cup tomato paste
- •½ cup chicken stock
- •¼ tsp ground cardamom
- •¼ tsp ground fenugreek (optional)
- •For serving:
- •4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and scored with a knife
- •Injera bread (or warm flatbread)
- •Fresh cilantro or Ethiopian basil
Instructions
Rub chicken pieces with kosher salt and lemon juice. Set aside while you prepare the sauce base.
In a large dry skillet over medium heat, cook the finely diced onions for 20–25 min, stirring frequently, until deeply caramelized and reduced to about 1/3 their volume. Do not add oil — the onions cook in their own moisture.
Add butter (or niter kibbeh), garlic, and ginger to the caramelized onions. Cook for 2 min.
Add berbere spice, paprika, cardamom, and fenugreek. Stir for 1 min until fragrant.
Stir in tomato paste and chicken stock. Simmer for 3 min, then remove from heat and let cool completely.
Place chicken pieces in vacuum-seal bags.
Divide the cooled onion-berbere sauce between bags, coating the chicken thoroughly.
Vacuum seal or use water displacement to remove air.
Preheat sous vide bath to 168°F (76°C).
Submerge bags and cook for 8 h.
When the cook is done, pour the entire contents of the bags into a large saucepan.
Nestle the scored hard-boiled eggs into the sauce.
Simmer uncovered over medium heat for 10–15 min, turning the eggs occasionally, until the sauce thickens and clings to the chicken.
Taste and adjust with salt or lemon juice.
Tear off a large sheet of injera and spread it on a serving platter.
Arrange the chicken and eggs on the injera, then spoon the thick berbere sauce generously over everything.
Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with extra injera for scooping.
Notes
- •Dry-cooking the onions until deeply caramelized is the foundation — don't rush this step
- •Berbere blends vary widely; taste yours and adjust the quantity
- •Niter kibbeh (Ethiopian spiced butter) adds authentic depth but regular butter works fine
- •The scored eggs absorb the sauce beautifully and become deeply stained and flavorful