In this episode of Epicurious’ cooking video series, Chef David Kamen of The Culinary
Institute of America demonstrates a recipe for Doro Wett (chicken stew). This classic dish, popular in both Ethiopian homes and restaurants, is packed full of the spices that give Ethiopian cooking its characteristic rich flavor. In fact, according to the book Food and Nutrition, by Dayle Hayes and Rachel Laudan, spices are so important to Ethiopian cuisine and culture that “a common insult in Ethiopia is ‘Ya wen alecha,‘ which, loosely translated, means a person ‘has no pepper.’” In our video, you’ll learn how to make the traditional Ethiopian spiced butter and berbere (spice powder) that create doro wett’s complex flavor profile.

Watch the doro wett video or go directly to the recipe, then come back here to comment. And for more on the history and ingredients of the dish, see our doro wett article.

“The rich man’s breakfast, the shopkeeper’s lunch, the poor man’s supper”: This traditional Arabic saying describes the Egyptian dish Ful Medames, notes cookbook author Clifford A. Wright. Indeed, the rustic bean stew is Egypt’s national dish, eaten by Egyptians from every walk of life and at all times of day. Though ful is also a popular meze in other Arab countries, it originated and is most beloved in Egypt.

In this episode of Epicurious’ cooking video series, Chef Charles M. Rascoll of The Culinary Institute of America demonstrates a traditional recipe for ful medames. Watch the video or go directly to the recipe, then come back here to comment. And for cooking tips and more on the history of the dish, see our ful medames article.