Smoky Wok

Whenever I feel under the weather, I crave for a piping hot bowl of smooth congee.  I took a look in my fridge and was trying hard to think of what ingredients I could use and I noticed the packet of mussels in my freezer so I thought I would give it a try.  This is rather like seafood congee except that the only seafood I used was congee - congee is great in that it provides the perfect backdrop to most ingredients and you can adjust them to suit your preferences.



If you are not a fan of mussels, you can use bamboo clams, prawns or other seafood.  I prefer watery congee where the ratio of water to rice is about 6:1 but do adjust this according to your tastes.  This was simply heartwarming and if you like mussels, I'm pretty sure you will like this easy congee.  Add a dash of light soy sauce at the table and you're done :).



This recipe is part of my Yuen Chun series.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup white rice, soaked for 30 minutes preferably (this it to ensure smoother consistency)
6 cups water
12 mussels in half shell
3 stalks green onions, sliced
4 slices ginger, slivered

To serve:
Sesame oil
Light soy sauce (from www.yuenchun.com)
Extra green onions and ginger for garnish

Method:

Firstly, place the rice and water in a claypot of large soup pot.  Bring to a boil.  Add a sprinkle of salt.  Once boiling rapidly, turn to medium low and allow to cook for about 1 hour stirring occasionally.  Once the congee reaches the desired consistency, add in the ginger, green onions and mussels.  The congee will be ready in 1 minute.  Serve hot with additional garnishing.