Chicken Harees — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

Slow-cooked wheat berries and chicken beaten into a smooth, comforting porridge enriched with a pool of melted ghee. Lighter than the lamb version, equally soul-warming.

Ingredients

500g chicken thighs, bone-in
2 cups crushed wheat (jareesh)
1 onion, quartered
2 tbsp ghee
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
6 cups water
Extra ghee for serving

Instructions

1 Soak crushed wheat in water for 2 hours. Drain.
2 Place chicken, onion, and salt in a heavy pot with 6 cups water. Bring to a boil, skimming foam.
3 Add soaked wheat, reduce heat to very low, and cook covered for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
4 Remove chicken, shred meat off bones, and return meat to pot. Discard bones.
5 Beat the mixture vigorously with a whisk or use a hand blender until smooth and porridge-like.
6 Serve in shallow bowls with a generous pool of melted ghee and a dusting of cinnamon on top.

Did You Know?

During Ramadan in the UAE, mosques distribute free bowls of harees to worshippers after evening prayers.