Slow-Cooked Lamb and Wheat Porridge with Spiced Ghee
Inspired by techniques from Serious Eats.
Emirati harees: lamb and soaked wheat cooked very slowly with cinnamon and cardamom, then beaten into a thick, smooth, stretchy porridge. Served with a pool of warm spiced ghee in the centre.
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Method
- 1
Soak the wheat. Cover the wheat with plenty of cold water and soak for 8-12 hours, then drain. Soaking softens the hard grains so they cook faster and break down more easily later.
- 2
Start the lamb. Put the lamb, onion, cinnamon stick, cardamom, bay leaves, salt and the water in the casserole and bring to the boil. Skim off the foam that rises for 10 minutes; removing these proteins keeps the finished porridge clean-tasting and pale.
- 3
Simmer for hours. Add the wheat, partly cover and simmer very gently for 2 h 30 min-3 h. Stir every 15-20 minutes, more often towards the end so it does not stick, and add hot water a little at a time if it becomes too thick. It is ready when the lamb falls apart and the wheat is completely soft and bursting.
- 4
Remove the aromatics. Lift out the onion, cinnamon stick, bay leaves and cardamom pods with the tongs. They have given their flavour to the porridge and would spoil the smooth texture if beaten in.
- 5
Beat until stretchy. Mash vigorously with the potato masher, or blend in short bursts with the stick blender, then beat with the wooden spoon for 3-4 minutes until the meat has broken into fine strands and the porridge is thick, smooth and stretchy. Beating releases starch from the wheat, which gives harees its characteristic elastic texture. Loosen with hot water to a thick, spoonable consistency.
- 6
Make the spiced ghee. Melt the ghee in the small saucepan over low heat, take it off the heat and stir in the ground cinnamon and cumin. Adding the spices off the heat lets them bloom in the warm fat without scorching.
- 7
Serve with ghee. Spoon the harees into bowls, make a hollow in the centre of each and fill it with the spiced ghee.
Storage
Cool within 2 hours and refrigerate for up to 3 days. It thickens as it chills, so add a splash of hot water when reheating and heat until piping hot (74 °C).
Equipment
- large bowl
- large heavy casserole (Dutch oven, 6 litres) with lid
- colander
- tongs
- sturdy wooden spoon
- stick blender or potato masher
- small saucepan
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 596 kcal |
| Protein | 29.1 g |
| Carbohydrate | 38.6 g |
| of which sugars | 1.3 g |
| of which free sugars | 0 g |
| Fat | 37 g |
| of which saturates | 17.5 g |
| Fibre | 6.9 g |
| Salt | 1.66 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
4.9 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
