Thoroughly rinse the peeled wheat (wheat berries) and place it in a large bowl. Cover with cold water and let it soak for a minimum of 8 hours, ideally overnight. Drain the water and rinse the wheat once more before use.
Harissa (Հարիսա): Armenian Wheat and Chicken Porridge
- Total time - 5 hours 30 minutes (plus overnight soaking)
- Soaking the wheat - 8-12 hours
- Preparation and cooking - 4 hours 30 minutes
- Vigorous beating/mashing - 30 minutes
- Servings: 6
- Country: Armenia
Harissa requires patience and love, as it is cooked for hours over very low heat until the wheat and meat merge into the perfect porridge consistency. Although cooking takes hours, the active preparation time is minimal.
Traditionally, whole peeled wheat (korkot) is used, which needs to be soaked beforehand. The key step is the final vigorous 'beating' of the mixture, which breaks down the wheat and shreds the meat into fine fibres.
Ingredients
Basic Ingredients
- 2 cups peeled wheat (korkot, wheat berries), soaked
- 1 piece (approx. 1.5 kg) whole chicken (or 1.5 kg of skinless chicken thighs)
- 10 cups (approx. 2.4 liters) water or chicken broth
- to taste salt
For Serving and Spicing
- 5 tbsp butter, melted (or clarified butter Ghee)
- for sprinkling cumin, ground
- for sprinkling red pepper / Aleppo pepper (optional)
Instructions
Step 1: Soaking the Wheat
Step 2: Cooking the Chicken
Place the chicken (or thighs) in a large pot. Cover with 8 cups of water or broth and add 1 tsp of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer covered for about 40-60 minutes, until the meat is tender. Skim off any foam from the surface during cooking.
Remove the meat and let it cool. Strain the broth and measure it: there should be around 6-7 cups (if less, add hot water to make up the amount).
Step 3: Joint Cooking
Add the soaked wheat to the pot with the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to the absolute minimum (using a heat diffuser is best), cover, and let it simmer for 3-4 hours.
IMPORTANT: Do not stir the porridge for the first three hours to prevent sticking. Only check that all the liquid has not been absorbed and it's not starting to burn (if so, add a little more hot water/broth).
Meanwhile, debone the chicken, discard the skin and cartilage. Shred the meat into smaller pieces.
Step 4: Beating (Mashing)
After 3-4 hours, when the wheat is completely soft, add the shredded meat to the pot. Stir well.
Now comes the crucial phase: start vigorously beating and stirring the Harissa with a sturdy wooden spoon, potato masher, or even an immersion blender (very carefully, to avoid overheating the mixture).
Continue stirring for 15-30 minutes until the pieces of meat completely dissolve into fine fibres that blend with the wheat porridge. Finished Harissa should have the consistency of a thick, sticky, creamy paste.
Taste and add salt as needed. If it is too thick, add a little hot water/broth.
Step 5: Serving
Serve the finished Harissa hot, layered into bowls. Make a well in the center and pour in a generous spoon of melted butter (or Ghee).
Sprinkle with ground cumin and optionally red pepper or Aleppo pepper. Traditionally served with pickled vegetables.