Turkey Wat with Sēti Berbere

Serves 4-6.

In Ethiopian cuisine, wat refers to a dish of meats or vegetables stewed in sauce. This recipe is inspired by doro wat (chicken braised in a berbere-spiced onion sauce) but uses turkey instead. It’s a terrific use for left over roasted turkey — they’ll be transformed by the sweet, mellow onions and the spicy complexity of our Sēti Berbere.

We like using dark meat in this stew (for its tenderness and flavor) but use the turkey parts that you have on hand. Serve Turkey Wat with flatbread or over rice to soak up all the delicious sauce.  

2 tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil
2 large yellow onions, finely diced
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons Sēti Berbere
2 cups turkey or chicken stock
4–6 cups cooked, shredded turkey, preferably dark-meat
4 hardboiled eggs, peeled
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ cup parsley, chopped

Put the oil into a large Dutch oven or heavy stew pot set over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the onions and salt and cook until the onions have softened, 5–10 minutes. Add the ginger and Sēti Berbere and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Add the turkey and simmer until sauce has thickened slightly, about 20 minutes.

Note: If you use more than 4 cups of meat, you may need to add a bit more stock to compensate, use your judgment but start with ½ cup additional stock per extra cup of meat.

Gently add the eggs to the pot, spoon a little sauce over them, and simmer until they are warmed through, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in lemon juice and parsley. Taste and season with additional salt and Sēti Berbere if needed.