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1
Soak the Wheat
Overnight (Hands-Off)
Room temperature
Rinse the wheat berries in cold water until the water runs clear, then cover with plenty of cold water and leave to soak overnight, at least 8 hours. Drain and rinse again before cooking.
If you forgot to soak, simmer the wheat alone in water for 1 hour first — it will not be as soft, but the dish still works.
Done when: Berries are plump and swollen, with no hard, dry centres.
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2
Cook the Chicken
60 Mins
Gentle simmer, ~95°C (203°F)
Put the whole chicken in a large heavy pot with 2.5 litres of cold water and half the salt. Bring slowly to the boil, skim off the foam, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for about 1 hour, until the meat is falling off the bone and the thickest part of the thigh reaches at least 74°C (165°F).
Keep the simmer gentle — a rolling boil clouds the broth and toughens the meat.
Done when: Meat pulls easily from the bone; thigh meat reaches at least 74°C (165°F).
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3
Pick the Meat
15 Mins
Off the heat
Lift the chicken out onto a board and let it cool just enough to handle. Pick all the meat off the bones, discarding the skin and bones, and shred the meat into small pieces with your fingers or two forks. Keep the broth in the pot — it is the base of the porridge.
Pick the meat while it is still warm; cold chicken is much harder to shred finely.
Done when: About 800 g of shredded meat, with no bones or skin left in it.
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4
Simmer the Wheat in the Broth
120 Mins
Gentle simmer, ~95°C (203°F)
Add the drained wheat to the broth and bring back to a gentle simmer. Cook for about 2 hours, stirring every 10–15 minutes and topping up with hot water whenever the pot gets too thick — the wheat should always be covered. The berries will slowly swell, split and break down into a thick, creamy mass.
Stir from the bottom of the pot, not just the top: wheat settles and catches on the base if it is left alone.
Done when: Berries are completely soft, split open, and the mixture is thick and porridge-like.
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5
Beat in the Chicken
30 Mins
Low heat, ~85°C (185°F)
Return the shredded chicken to the pot and stir it in. Then beat the whole mixture with a wooden spoon or a potato masher, pressing and stirring until the chicken disappears into the wheat and the porridge is smooth, thick and creamy — like oatmeal, but heavier. Add the remaining salt and the pepper, and taste. The porridge should be thick enough to stand a spoon in.
This beating step is the whole point of harissa: the name comes from the Armenian word for 'to stir'. Keep going until you cannot tell the chicken from the wheat.
Done when: Thick, smooth porridge; chicken fully integrated, no separate shreds visible.
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6
Brown the Butter & Serve
5 Mins
Medium heat, ~150°C (300°F)
Melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat and let it foam, then keep cooking for 2–3 minutes until it smells nutty and turns golden brown. Ladle the harissa into deep bowls and pour a spoonful of the browned butter over each one.
Watch the butter closely — it goes from golden to burnt in seconds. Take it off the heat the moment it smells nutty.
Done when: Butter is golden brown and nutty-smelling; each bowl is hot, thick and glossy on top.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve the harissa hot in deep bowls, each with its spoonful of browned butter melting on top. Eat it with a spoon, straight from the bowl, while it is still steaming.
Armenia
4h 55m
France
Vietnam