Kitfo is a keystone Ethiopian national dish – a melt-in-the-mouth tartare-style beef marinated with mitmita (a spicy chilli blend) and served with niter kibbeh, a rich spiced clarified butter. This is definitely one of those dishes where the devil is in the details – harnessing the magic requires quality ingredients and, most importantly, a beautifully rendered niter kibbeh served perfectly warm, seductively infusing the meat without cooking it. Happily, the kitfo concept also works beautifully with other proteins – think tuna, salmon and scallops, which is exactly what we’ve done.
Ingredients
80–120g sashimi-grade tuna per serve (preferably bluefin), finely diced – or thinly sliced, carpaccio style
Generous pinch of berbere spice
Finely grated lime zest
Micro herbs for garnish
Niter kibbeh
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2-3 black cardamom pods, crushed and seeds removed
1 cinnamon stick
2 blades mace
3 cloves
2 teaspoons black pepper
½ teaspoon fenugreek
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried mint
2 teaspoons dried lemon verbena
½ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon allspice
1kg butter
3 gold shallots, finely chopped
4cm knob ginger, grated
5 garlic cloves, grated
Saffron tuiles
200ml water
Pinch saffron, lightly toasted
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
30g plain flour
Safflower oil to cook
Method
1. Niter kibbeh
Lightly toast the cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper, fenugreek, coriander, cumin, mace, cloves, oregano, mint and verbena until fragrant. Cool and coarsely grind.
Melt the butter with the shallots, ginger and garlic. Add the ground spice mix, turmeric and allspice. Gently simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour—emphasis on gentle, as burning the milk solids will make it irreversibly bitter. Strain the clarified butter through double muslin, discarding the spices and milk solids. Refrigerated, it keeps for up to a month.
2. Tuna
Season the tuna with berbere spice and lime zest and let sit for at least an hour. Plate, garnish with micro herbs and serve with saffron tuiles and a side of perfectly warm niter kibbeh.
3. Saffron tuiles
Boil the water, add the saffron and smoked paprika, and infuse for 15 minutes before straining. Whisk the flour into the saffron tea.
Coat the base of a small non-stick fry pan with oil. Add a small amount of batter and swirl to spread very thinly. Fry until the liquid evaporates and the tuile is matte and lacy, then flip to cook the other side. Drain on paper towel and transfer to a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining batter.
Extras to add a twist
- Fennel pickled scallops
- Caviar
- Berbere mayo
- Pickled turnip
Chef's notes
Niter kibbeh is a delicious traditional, deeply fragrant spiced clarified butter used widely in Ethiopian and Eritrean cooking.
Black cardamom is a cousin of green cardamom. While it shares some of the same minty, menthol aromas, it is much funkier, packing a unique punch of powerful smokiness and full-bodied resin.
Berbere is a fundamental spice blend in Ethiopian cooking. More than just hot and spicy, it also brings complex earthiness, aroma and sweetness. A mix of chilli, coriander, garlic, ginger, besobela (Ethiopian holy basil), ajwain, nigella, fenugreek and more, everyone has their own ‘secret’ family version.
