Armenian harissa

Step 1: Put 2 ⅝ lb chicken thighs and legs, bone in in a large heavy pan with 1 onion, 1 bay leaf and 10 ½ cups water. Bring to the boil, skim off the grey foam, then simmer gently with the lid ajar for 1 hour, until the meat falls from the bone.

Step 2: Lift out the chicken and leave it to cool a little. Discard the onion and bay leaf. Strip the meat off the bones in shreds and throw away the bones and any gristle.

Step 3: Drain 12 ½ oz hulled whole wheat berries (korkot) and add it to the broth. Bring back to a simmer, cover and cook on a low heat for 1 hour 30 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes and scraping the bottom, until the grains have burst and are very soft.

Step 4: Return the chicken to the pan with 2 tsp salt. Cook on a low heat for 45 minutes more, stirring often. Add a splash of hot water if it gets too thick to stir.

Step 5: Now beat it: with a sturdy wooden spoon, stir hard and fast for 10–15 minutes until the chicken disappears into threads and the porridge turns smooth and elastic, pulling away from the side of the pan. Take care, it spits.

Step 6: Melt 2 ⅛ oz butter in a small pan until it foams and turns nutty brown, then stir in 1 tsp ground cumin.

Step 7: Ladle the harissa into bowls, make a hollow in the middle and pour in the hot butter. Dust with ½ tsp paprika if you like. Cool leftovers quickly, keep in the fridge up to 3 days and reheat with a splash of water until steaming hot all through.