There was a mention of an intriguing new spice mixture at a blog that I read faithfully
http://ronitpenso.wordpress.com/2014/05/11/sweet-and-spicy-oven-roasted-chicken-wings/
so, of course I have been trying it out everywhere – with careful abandon!
I rubbed some on a pot roast last night before putting it into the pressure cooker. I was apparently too stingy because the flavor was very mild, even for wimpy ol’ me.
At table, DH was much more free with the shaker, and I shook a bit on mine, too. It mixed nicely with the au jus to bring an interesting flavor to the pot roast. I’ll be more bold next time.
I had expected to serve this with collard greens and mashers, but the collard greens turned out to be turnip greens. They were side by side in the produce department, and my apprentice shopper did the picking out. They were good; just different from what I had expected.
Today I am roasting a whole chicken in my Nesco roaster, so was very generous with slathering a good layer of the berbere on the outside of the chicken. I leave the skin on until serving time, so figured some of the ambience would cook into the meat, but the preponderance of it will remain on the skin, which we don’t eat. Low risk! ;->
Stay tuned for results.
Adventures of Dorrie Anne 
The marinade sounds easy enough to make, but what is in the Ethiopian Berbere spice mix?
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I mail ordered it from VitaCost (Frontier Brand), and it has all organic spices, which are:
paprika, sea salt, cayenne, fenugreek, coriander, cumin, black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and turmeric.
I’m usually pretty skeptical of these multispice conglomerations, but this is a really good mixture that is very pleasing. It IS hot, though, at least to me. So be careful with it until you judge how it affects your particular taste buds.
I haven’t tried the whole marinade yet, although I do have a package of thighs waiting to be the next experiment.
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It sounds wonderful, but since I had my gallbladder removed, and even for several years before, I have had to avoid really spicy foods. I love them but they just don’t agree with me any more. But it sure sounds good.
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I love berbere, but I go with a milder version! Ethiopian food is great. I’ve successfully introduced picky eaters to it.
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I’m not sure if this is mild or hot. I expected REALLY hot, but it was a lot milder than I had expected. I’m still sneaking up on it, though!
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Thanks for the link to my blog. 🙂
I’m glad you find uses for this special spice mix. Looking forward to see the roasted chicken post. 🙂
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It will show up everywhere for a while! Many thanks for the pointer to this delightful new treat!
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So glad to hear. 🙂
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“careful abandon” – I love this choice of words! I have never, ever heard of Berbere before. I had to look it up on Wikipedia. I was especially interested to find that Berebere sometimes encompasses herbs and spices that are less well known internationally. (i.e. korarima and long pepper) I have never, ever heard of long pepper.
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I like to make up “word things”. Words are just special. I’ve always wondered what would happen if I were thrown into another country whose language is all different. Even if I could speak the language, I believe my whole personality would be lost because I wouldn’t understand the subtleties and vagaries of that language, nor how to use the words to their best advantage to express my own style. “Hasty banana” always gets a chuckle when I say it in America, but a Spanish-speaking person might just give me a peculiar look – or call the policia!
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🙂 🙂 🙂
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Never heard of it either so thanks for the education but hot R not me. 🙂
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I’m just reading about your new solar installation, Sherry! You’re gonna love it. The Berbere is only as hot as you want it to be. I HATE, HATE, HATE overly hot food – don’t even like curry – but this is very subtle and you can just sneak up on it a bit at a time to suit your own desire. My kitchen smells really good right now with the smell of it wafting around from the roasting chicken.
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I found this site that shows a recipe for the spice mix. I assume you could leave out the chiles if you don’t want any heat, and just go for the flavor. It sounds very good. I also usually don’t go for the spice mixes but I’ve found many that Penzey’s makes are really good. We’re a fan of their “33rd and Galena” and “English Prime Rib Rub” which has a strong celery seed flavor. Here’s the link to the Ethiopian mixture: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Ethiopian-Spice-Mix-Berbere-104015
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I think I still have an old Penzy’s catalogue around somewhere, but probably better to look on the net. The rub sounds good.
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Glad to have you back! Let me know what you come up with. We are really liking it.
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There always a first time. This Ethiopian Berbere* spice mix is totally new to me. I’ve never heard of it before but after browsing and finding a link with a recipe I realize it’s made of all the spices I know and have in my pantry (except the New Mexico Chillies). I shall just make some for myself and try the chicken wings from tasty eats. (Keep you posted of the outcome). The turnip greens look nice and delicious. That was one great meal you had!
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Turnip greens are so nutritious! I’m glad you tried them. I like to saute some onions in a pan, then brown some bits of ham in with them, then wilt the greens. The sweetness of the ham seems to go really well with the slight bitterness of the greens. A sprinkle of kosher salt and you have a yummy side dish!
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The turnip greens weren’t new to us; just an unexpected pleasure. Onions, sautéed in ghee, go with just about everything. They are certainly a staple in this household! Love the summer when the big, sweet Texas onions and/or Vidalias are available! The Vidalias are just coming in here in Arizona. I plan to load up on them this week.
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Judie, here’s a link to Berbere (aka peri peri or beri beri) on the Penzey’s website. (Holly mentioned Penzey’s in her post.) I use Penzey’s herbs, spices, and blends exclusively; very high quality, great variety, fair prices, and good customer service!
http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeysperiperi.html
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Thanks, Joan. Yes, I’ve used Penzey’s on occasion, but not recently. Need to give them another whirl. I always loved browsing their catalogue and kept an outdated one for YEARS! The berbere is finding its way into almost everything on our table these days. Very versatile and delightful.
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