D.C. Chef Elias Taddasse Upgrades Fried Chicken with Ethiopian Flavors at Doro Soul Food | Eater
"After pivoting from high-end French kitchens in New York to exploring Ethiopian flavors, chef Elias Taddesse opened his first shop in Washington, D.C., aiming to serve a distinctly Ethiopian-infused fried chicken. The signature is buttermilk-marinated chicken seasoned with a dry rub of garlic powder, turmeric and a punchy berbere blend, using a triple-flour mix (bread, all-purpose and self-rising) in the marinade to create a crunchy yet not-too-thick crust; pieces are dredged in that same flour blend plus tapioca, potato and cornstarch, then double-fried and flash-fried to order for a crisp, juicy bite. Finished options include naked, coated in a berbere glaze, or dipped in an extra-spicy mitmita hot sauce made with bird’s eye chiles. Many central components are made in-house—niter kibbeh clarified butter spiked with korerima (black cardamom) and besobela (dried Ethiopian basil), and a deeply flavored doro wot spice paste made from caramelized onions cooked down for hours—which is layered into dishes such as a mac-and-cheese roux to lend an earthy complexity. Taddesse currently runs this carryout-focused operation with meticulous butchering (breaking down whole chickens every other day, working through 15–25 cases) and plans to expand into a larger sit-down restaurant in the future." - Emily Venezky
