BERBERE CHICKEN

Berbere is an Ethiopian spice mix. We have it in a sauce form which can be used as a marinade or a dipping sauce. Our sauce comes from our friend Larry at Peppahead. He says his sauce is a pungent and fragrent African Blend with unique flavor. The ingredients are ‘berbere spice blend’, red wine vinegar, coconut milk, shallots, tomato paste, chiles and sea salt. This is a unique sauce. The smell is very complex. Cinnamon, cloves, vinegar, chiles are several aromas I detect. Larry says it is great as a marinade for lamb or chicken. We are going to fire up the grill and try the berbere sauce with some chicken.

The sauce was slathered over some chicken thighs and put in the Chilebrown ice cave for several hours. A medium mesquite charcoal fire was built in our old trusty and faithful Weber. We cooked the thighs with the vents closed half way and the cover on. We turned the chicken several times. When the thighs internal temperature reached 165 degrees we removed them and let them rest on a covered plate.
   The thighs were juicy and very flavorful. The key word tonight is unique. This was a flavor that was unfamiliar to our palate. Coconut milk, vinegar with a mix of pepper and spices created a slight heat and flavor that wreaked havoc with our Western tastes. Can you call it a curry? The spices had a slight earthy flavor. There were so many spices that may or may not be in this mix. Cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, ginger and garlic is my guess. Did we like it? I liked it because of its unique flavor and slight heat. It is fun to experience new taste sensations. Ms. Goofy was not so impressed. If you would like to experience something that is a little exotic and different, it is available through Larry at Peppahead.

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