Slow-Cooked Harees

Traditional Emirati harees made by slowly cooking wheat and lamb until they merge into a silky, porridge-like dish, finished with ghee.

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Harees is a patient dish traditionally associated with Ramadan, Eid and family gatherings. The long cooking and vigorous beating at the end transform very simple ingredients into something uniquely comforting.

Ingredients

• 400 g harees wheat or whole wheat berries (soaked overnight and drained)
• 700 g boneless lamb shoulder (cut into large chunks)
• 2.2 litres water (plus more as needed)
• 2 tsp fine salt (plus more to taste)
• 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
• 80 g ghee
• 0.25 tsp black pepper (optional)

Step-by-step method

1. Rinse the soaked wheat until the water runs mostly clear. Put it in a large heavy pot with the lamb and 2 litres of water.
2. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and skim off any foam that rises during the first 10 minutes. This keeps the flavour cleaner and the finished harees pale rather than muddy.
3. Add 1½ teaspoons salt, reduce the heat to very low and cover with the lid slightly ajar. Simmer for about 2½ hours, stirring every 25–30 minutes so the wheat does not catch on the base.
4. Add small amounts of hot water whenever the mixture becomes dry before the wheat is completely soft. By the end, both the meat and wheat should break apart easily when pressed with a spoon.
5. Remove any large pieces of fat or gristle. Use a sturdy wooden spoon, potato masher or hand mixer on low speed to beat the mixture until the meat fibres and wheat blend into a thick, smooth porridge.
6. Return to low heat for 10–15 minutes, stirring frequently. Adjust the consistency with a little hot water if it becomes too stiff; harees should be thick but spoonable.
7. Taste and adjust the salt. Spoon into a wide serving dish, make a shallow swirl on the surface and pour over the melted ghee.
8. Finish with cinnamon or black pepper if desired and serve hot. Harees thickens as it cools, so loosen leftovers with a little water when reheating.