The secret to Doro Wat is the slow and long braising of a large quantity of onions. The onions are cooked without adding oil until all the water evaporates and they caramelize, creating a rich and dark sauce base.
Traditionally, Niter Kibbeh (Ethiopian spiced clarified butter) is used, which gives the dish its characteristic aroma. If you don't have it, use a combination of classic butter and Ghee.
The Berbere spice blend is the heart of this dish—it is very spicy and rich. It is important to use quality Berbere, or prepare it at home from dried chillies, ginger, garlic, cloves, and other spices.
Cut the chicken into traditional pieces (bone-in) and rub with lemon juice and salt. Let it rest for at least 30 minutes.
In a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, start braising the finely chopped onions over medium-low heat without fat. The onions must simmer slowly and break down to form the sauce base. This takes 45–60 minutes. The sauce will brown and thicken.
Once the onion is completely cooked down and dark, add the Niter Kibbeh (or butter/Ghee) and let it melt. Add grated ginger and minced garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes.
Add the Berbere spice and sauté for another 5–10 minutes until the spice is intensely fragrant (if using powder, you can add a little water to form a paste).
Add the prepared chicken and sear it briefly in the spicy mixture.
Pour in the broth or water, and season with salt. The sauce should be thick; it should not be soup. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat.
Cover and simmer over low heat for about 45–60 minutes until the chicken is tender and the sauce has the desired thickness. Stir occasionally.
Approximately 10 minutes before the end, add the hard-boiled and peeled eggs to the sauce to heat them through and absorb the flavour. Traditionally, eggs are scored or pricked to allow the sauce to penetrate better.
Serve the Doro Wat hot. Traditionally, the chicken stew and whole eggs are placed in the center of a large Injera flatbread (which we prepared earlier), and the meal is eaten by hand. The Injera serves as an edible utensil for scooping up this rich curry.