Ethiopian Berber Spiced Squab with Carrot-Ginger Chutney
I love learning about other cultures and cuisines from around the world. Something about new and exotic flavor combinations fascinates me. Who would have thought that combining cinnamon and dried chilies tastes good, or carrots and ginger? I stumbled upon a new region of the world to learn about because of a hidden gem known as the Milford Spice Company.
They are based out of Michigan but offer free shipping. They have the largest selection of spices I have ever seen. You name it… they have it.
Everything from Celtic Grey Sea Salt to Traditional Japanese Shichimi Spice; and they’re all delivered fresh to your door. I ordered some authentic Ethiopian Berber Spice Rub which is a staple in northern African cuisine.
Berber can come in a paste form as well but I opted for the dried version. There are many different varieties but long story short, it is a mix of dried chilies, paprika, garlic, ginger, all spice, cinnamon, cardamom, coriander, cloves, and fenugreek.
A giant hodge podge of dried spices that all come together in harmony to create a sweet and spicy rub for meats and vegetables (just not pork because Ethiopians do not eat pork for religious reasons). I decided to sprinkle this magical dust all over a tiny squab that I roasted in the oven.
The brick red Berber spice adhered to the bird uniformly while I let it marinate in the fridge for a few hours ahead of time while I prepared the side dishes.
The combination of carrots and fresh ginger is something that you’ll find in Ethiopia a lot.
I decided to make a carrot-ginger chutney which is slightly sweet, to serve with the squab to balance out some of the heat. A chutney is basically a spice and vegetable mixture that is rendered down almost to a wet paste, similar to an Italian caponata. I sauteed some cubed carrots and fresh ginger root, with some shallots and garlic until it was soft. Then I added some honey, golden raisins, and white wine vinegar before I covered it with vegetable stock and let it simmer away.
After about 45 minutes, the stock completely evaporated and what was left was a paste-like, sweet and sour chutney that still had a little bit of texture to it.
I also made some cumin scented, black sticky rice to serve as the base for my bird. I started the squab off in a screaming hot, 500 degree oven to create a crispy crust and then lowered the temperature to 375 degrees to finish off the cooking evenly. The aromas in my kitchen from the roasted spices were unlike anything I had ever smelled before. It was like roasted Christmas cinnamon sticks inside of a Tennesee BBQ pit.
Due to the heat in the Berber spice, I paired this meal with an off-dry Riesling from Washington State. The grapes from Charles Smith’s 2009 Kung Fu Girl Riesling are grown on extremely rocky soil in the Columbia Valley which gives it some rich minerality and powerful aromas of peaches and spring flowers. The wine is fresh and acidic with layered flavors of apricots, Asian pear, and a refreshing lime finish. At 12.5% alcohol, this Riesling had the perfect amount of sweetness to balance the Berber spiced squab.
The succulent, rich dark meat from the bird was so moist, and the crispy skin was infused with so many different flavors. I tamed some of the dried chilies with a dollop of plain yogurt and cumin seeds. Although I tried to replicate an authentic Ethiopian dish, I didn’t follow their customs as to how I ate it. Ethiopians eat with their hands and I opted to stick to the silverware.
