Doro Wot / Derho Tsebhi: Spicy Chicken Drumstick Stew

Doro wot is perhaps the most well-known Ethiopian dish: The mere presence of this rich, fiery chicken stew signifies a rite of passage or a special occasion. Cutting up a whole chicken for doro wot is among the first skills that Ethiopian Jewish mothers teach their daughters. And at meals, each family member is allocated a specific piece of meat based on their status in the household: Honored guests might get the thigh or breast; children the wings.

At Ethiopian weddings, the bride and groom are fed by their close friends, a way of showing love, respect, and friendship known as Gursha. While making a truly finger-licking doro wot is a lengthy process, I have carefully streamlined my version over the years to maximize the flavor. (Note: Beejhy includes two other variations of this recipe in the cookbook.)

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Doro Wot / Derho Tsebhi: Spicy Chicken Drumstick Stew

This rich, fiery chicken stew is the most well-known Ethiopian dish.

Servings 8

Ingredients

• 2 pounds chicken drumsticks 8–10, skinned
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon fine sea salt
• 8 large eggs
• 6 cups Kulet recipe follows

Instructions

• In a large bowl, combine the drumsticks, lemon juice, and salt.
• Add cold water to cover and swish the water around to mix.
• Soak for at least 10 minutes and up to 1 hour.
• Prepare a large bowl of cold water and ice and have nearby.
• In a medium pot, combine the eggs with cold water to cover.
• Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook the eggs for 8 minutes.
• Remove the eggs from the pot and place in the ice bath until completely cooled.
• Peel the eggs, leaving them whole.
• Make four shallow, evenly spaced cuts from top to bottom on each egg, scoring the white but stopping at the yolk.
• Meanwhile, in a large pot, heat the kulet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until simmering.
• Drain the water from the drumsticks.
• Wash the drumsticks well under running water, massaging the chicken and rinsing several times. Submerge in the kulet.
• Bring back to a simmer and cook gently, stirring occasionally and reducing the heat if the sauce begins to boil, until the drumsticks are completely cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes.
• During the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the eggs and gently stir to completely submerge them in the sauce.
• Serve warm.

FromGURSHA: Timeless Recipes for Modern Kitchens, from Ethiopia, Israel, Harlem, and Beyond © 2025 by Tevletz Barhany-John. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

Photo Credit: Clay Williams

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