Doro Watt (Chicken Stew)

Here is my Ethiopian chef, Hope and her Momma Lori, my dear sweet friend. "A-wad-a-ha-low!" (I love you)

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OK, one last recipe for everyone. Doro Watt is practically the "famous" dish in Ethiopian food and a big hit with about half of our family. :) This is the second time in a week we've had this as Hope invited me over to watch her make this one from memory. All I have to do is bring the injera and that's a good deal for me. Keep in mind there is no written recipe, she just goes by what she sees and smells (which is fun to watch). After watching Hope & Spiderman devour two huge helpings, I can attest it must taste like it did "back home". Here we go....

1 medium onion, chopped

3/4 cup cooking oil (she used alot more)

Cook together on medium heat

Add 1/3 cup berbere spice (Hope uses a cup but I can tell you, it's still too spicy with this smaller amount. If you didn't get this in Ethiopia, you can buy it online or make your own)

whisk together and let it boil for awhile. This part is vague, Hope watches the sauce for the brown to turn redish. Apparently it is subtle as I didn't see a significant change but she sure got excited when she saw it.

2-3 cups water, continue boiling 5 more minutes

Next add:

4-5 lbs of skinless chicken, preferably legs (on the bone) and thighs (cut off the bone)

boil at medium heat for 15 minutes. Add:

6 whole hard bolied eggs, peeled

5 potatoes, peeled and diced

2 tsp of salt

2 cloves of garlic

Boil on medium heat for another 15 minutes

Spoon over injera and enjoy, kinda spicy!

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Now as for my unrelated comments, I have a tip for some of you. If you are adopting an older child, pray for God to bring you another family in your area (in your church is even better) who will do the same. I am still in awe of how God called Hope's family to adopt right as we were paperchasing. This journey has been so much richer sharing it with another family and knowing the kids have each other with a shared understanding. Their differences in gender and age don't even seem to matter for this. This adoption has been such a deep and wondrous experience and it is so much richer having a "mom friend" walking the joys and sorrows with me each step of the way. (For a beautiful expression of some of these ponderings, read my friend Jens post called "How can it be?") Lori has been such a gift to me and I never even thought to ask God for this. Now there are two other families at our church adding to their families from the same orphanage. ASK!