Genfo | Ethiopian Barley Porridge with a Spiced Butter Well

Put the barley flour in a wide, dry skillet over medium heat and stir constantly. It is toasted when it darkens slightly and begins to smell like bread crust; skipping this 6-minute step leaves the porridge tasting of raw flour. Immediately transfer the toasted flour to a plate so it does not burn in the skillet.

Bring the water and salt to a boil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Follow the quantities carefully, since you cannot add water while the porridge cooks; 900 ml water to 400 g flour gives it a consistency thick enough to hold a spoon upright.

Reduce the heat. With one hand, gradually sift the toasted flour into the pot while stirring constantly with a wooden spoon in the other. The mixture will first be a loose slurry, then a stiff dough that resists the spoon. The porridge is ready when a channel drawn through the center with the spoon does not close within a few seconds.

Dip a spoon in cold water, transfer the porridge to a wide bowl, and shape it into a smooth dome with the back of the wet spoon. Make a well in the top without piercing through the bottom. Dipping the spoon in water each time keeps the porridge from sticking.

Mix the niter kibbeh and berbere in a small bowl and pour the mixture into the well. The hot porridge will melt the butter, so there is no need to heat it separately. Bring the intact dome to the table; diners can tear off bites from the edge and dip them into the well.