Smoky Wok

Heartwarming and delicious congee that is silky smooth and flavourful - always a winner with me.  When I was a child, I never appreciated congee in all its' delicious comforts as I was always forced to have congee when I was sick so I of course started associating it with being sick, not a positive connotation as you can gather.  Times have changed however and I totally get why congee is so popular amongst us Asians especially -  congee can be cooked simply with a bit of salt and served with other dishes or made luxurious with the addition of abalone.  Congee or rice porridge has humble beginnings and I believe that it was an accidental 'invention' by the peasants in old China in their quest for a fulfilling yet less costly meal, not everyone was able to cook rice for every meal and even if rice was used, the rice varied drastically in quality.  The type of congee I prefer is of the silky smooth consistency (more Cantonese I think) while some others love the Teochew style of congee where the grains of rice can be distinguished clearly against the liquid.




Chicken congee is always a favourite and today I am sharing an extremely easy method of making this at home.  If you have time, soak the rice for at least 30 minutes before boiling as this will help break the grain up quicker ensuring a smoother consistency.  The congee was boiled in a mixture of water and organic chicken broth with a piece of ginger thrown in.  Add in the chicken breast or thigh slices after about 30 minutes, serve with some green onion slices, ginger slivers and some soy and sesame oil on the side - wholesome and comforting meal ready.



What is your favourite season of the year? Whenever the cooler months are here, congee comes to mind and although I am now in perpetually hot Malaysia, I can still taste the pleasure of heartwarming congee in the cold cold winter :O.




Serves 4


Ingredients:


1/2 cup white rice, soaked in 1 tsp oil and water for 30 minutes (if you like a thicker consistency, add more rice)
Salt, to taste
200g chicken breast or chicken boneless thighs, sliced and marinated in below:

Marinade;

1/2 tsp corn starch
2 tsps light soy sauce
1 tsp Chinese Shaoxing wine


1 2cm worth piece of ginger
4 cups water
3 cups chicken broth 

2 stalks green onions, sliced
1 tbsp slivers of fresh ginger (for really thin slivers, use a peeler and peel the ginger then slice into thin slivers)
Sesame oil, to taste
White pepper, to taste (optional)

Method:

Place the soaked rice, ginger, water and chicken broth in a large pot.  Bring to a boil.  Once rapidly boiling, turn heat to low and allow to continue boiling until the congee reaches the consistency you like.  Taste and add more salt if needed.

Add in the chicken breast/ thighs and turn up the heat again.  Boil until chicken is fully cooked.  Spoon the congee into serving bowls and top with ginger slivers, green onions and a dash of sesame oil. Serve hot.   Provide light soy sauce and white pepper at the table as well for your guests to add according to their preference.