I’ve been working on perfecting this recipe for a while now. It’s an attempt to copycat one of the yummiest lunch spots in downtown Louisville, Addis Restaurant. When you walk in the door – the smell of this dish just hits you. Savory, spicy deliciousness. Since I no longer live in Louisville, and Covid limits travel, I don’t get to satisfy my craving very often. So I decided to try to make this at home. Today marks my third attempt and I must say, it’s a successful one! It’s not perfect – but the color and texture are spot on. The flavor is really close. And as promised on previous posts, I’m sharing the recipe in case you’re interested. Know that I am NOT recipe writer – but I did my best to share how I made this.

Ingredients:

• • 3 pounds of boneless chicken (most recipes suggest thighs, but I’ve used both thighs and breasts)
  • 4 cups of onions, coarsely pureed
  • 6 Tb butter, divided
  • 2 Tb olive oil
  • 2 Tb minced garlic
  • 2 Tb grated ginger
  • 1/4 c. Berberre (this is an Ethopian spice – you can get on Amazon if you don’t have access to a local ethic grocery or spice shop)
  • 2 black cardamom pods
  • A pinch of fenugreek seeds
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 2 Tb lemon juice

Directions

1. 1. Chop the onions and pulse in a blender until you have a coarsely textured puree.
   2. Over medium heat, melt 2 Tb butter and the olive oil in a dutch oven or large pot.
   3. Add the onions, stir to coat. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and cook for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
   4. Meanwhile, cut the chicken into chunks. Cover with lemon juice. Let sit a room temperature until you’re ready to add it to the pot.
   5. Move the onions to one side of the pan. Turn heat up to medium. Melt 2 Tb of butter in the cleared half of the pan. Add the cardamom pods and fenugreek to the butter. Cook for 1-2 minutes until you see little bubbles forming around the pods.
   6. Add the ginger and the garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes more.
   7. Stir with the onions, reduce heat back to medium low, cover and cook for 30 minutes.
   8. Melt 2 Tb of butter. Add the Berberre and smoked paprika. Stir to combine. This may be really thick. Add in up to a 1/4 cup of water, if needed to make it not stick. Cover again, reduce to low and cook 20 more minutes.
   9. Add the chicken. Cover. Cook for 30 more minutes, or longer if desired.

Serve with pita, rice and a salad.

Note: Today I shredded my chicken instead of cubed it. I wanted to try this texture, so I cooked it on low for 3 hours, stirring frequently. Usually it’s served in large cubes. I liked the shredded chicken because it allowed me sop up more sauce.

Also – this is really spicy. You can control the heat with how much smoked paprika you add. Take it out completely for a much less intense fire. If you like it sweeter, you can add a little sweet wine to the recipe when you add the berberre.