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–+ servings
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Hareesa, Wheat and Chicken Porridge

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Prep: 12 hours
Cook: 4 hours
Servings 20
Course
Main
Cuisine
Lebanese
Middle East
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Description

Hareesa, and sometimes pronounced hrisa, is a wheat berry porridge, cooked with chicken or meatmade specifacally in Lebanon during Ashura, Muharam. The pot is cooked slow and low for hours (lots of stirring is required), ending up with a creamy texture, but with enough slight chewy bite to keep it gripping. Hareesa, could be arguably the best thing you would ever taste, believe me, you are in for a treat. I grew up eating hareesa, and after I had a kitchen for myself, I worked hard 33 years ago to perfect it and by time I gained a reputation for being a great hareesa maker, follow the recipe to a T and success is yours, it's a project and laborious to make, but so worth it, watch the video below.

Ingredients
 

  • 1 Kg Wheat berries, the wheat used to make harrisa is dehulled (the tough hulls removed)
  • 2 whole chickens 1.5 kg/ 3 lb 5 oz each
  • 1 cup ghee
  • Salt to taste

For the chicken broth

  • 1 onion
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 4 cardamom pods
  • 4 whole cloves

Instructions
 

  • To a large bowl, cover the wheat berries with water, and soak at room temperature for at least 10 hours to maximum 15 hours.
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  • Drain the wheat berries.
  • Meanwhile cook the wheat berries: Place the wheat berries in a large pot over high heat and add 4 liters (about 4 quarts) of water. Once it reaches a boiling point, reduce heat to low, cover up and let it simmer for 2 hours.
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  • Clean the chicken and transfer to a large pot. Add 14 cups of water and cook on high heat. Spoon the scum that appears on top. Add the onion, cloves, bay leaves and cardamom pods. Reduce heat to low, cover up and cook for 2 to 3 hours. The more the better.
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  • Strain the broth.
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  • Place the chicken on dish to cool down. Debone and remove the skin, shred the chicken.
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  • When the wheat berries are fully cooked, process half of the quantity (preferably using a handmill, and keep the other half chunky, secure the food mill above a large bowl or pot, process the wheat berries in batches. Turn the crank and the blade will puree the wheat berries through the wholes in the disc. Keep turning until you have processed half of the wheat berries, (don't process all, just the half), making sure to scrape any remaining off the bottom, this is a secret tip to take your hareesa from good to excellent, the result is silkier and creamier.
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  • To a large pot, , add the cooked wheat berries, (the processed and the chunky), the shredded chicken and salt. Add 10 cups of the chicken broth to the wheat berry pot and cook over high heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.
  • When the mixture reaches a boiling point, reduce heat to very low, cover the pot and let it simmer 2 hours, stirring every 10 minutes, to avoid sticking.
  • Heat ghee in a skillet and add it to the wheat berry pot, stir well to infuse the ghee with the berries, cook for further 10 minutes and serve in individual soup plates.
  • Sprinkle a bit of cinnamon powder and seven spice, (or one of the spices) on top of each plate. Serve warm, so delectable!
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Video

Notes

1-Hareesa should have the consistency of a porridge, note that it will thicken a bit upon cooling.
2-The wheat used to make harrisa is dehulled (the tough hulls removed).
3- Hareesa can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Keyword chicken, ghee, wheat berries
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