Today, I felt like having congee. By now, you know me; my food plate/bowl must be something borrowed, something new, something creative, something fusion, something colourful, something memoir, and something I can call my own.

Congee is Chinese rice porridge, which can be served plain, sweet, or savoury. It is actually pretty bland in flavour. When additional ingredients such as meat, fish, and flavourings are added while preparing the congee, which is most often served as a meal on its own, especially for persons who are ill.

To me, it is the ultimate Chinese comfort food that my grandma and mom cook for us. Their Malaysian recipes have fish brain, intestines, Chinese donut stick pieces, minced pork, bean sprouts, and at times fried tofu. Grandma’s special congee ingredients are salted duck eggs, century eggs, preserved olive leaves, spring onions, black mushrooms, dried shrimps, Chinese pickled vegetables, fish, fried oysters, and scallops, fresh ginger sticks, fried shallots, and poached chicken.

Congee is served as breakfast, lunch, and dinner in Malaysia. But even when I don’t feel sick, I still find it a satisfying meal. Well, the first time I cooked congee, my mom helped me with the method. She cooks it in a rice cooker. My congee, cooked in a rice cooker, has prawn heads, chicken stock, and minced pork with fusion flavours. Let’s cook!!!

Ingredients

2-3 c cooked rice
1 ” fresh ginger
1 1/2 Tbs minced garlic
1/2 Tbs oyster sauce
1/2 Tbs soy sauce
6-10 prawn heads, fry with 1 Tbs oil and 1 Tsp minced garlic, once turned red, smashed and cook with 4 c water, salt and pepper to make stock
2 drumsticks plus 4 c water; 1 ” ginger, salt, black peppercorns and 4 garlic cloves to make stock
200-250 g minced pork
200 g white tail snapper, fillets
2 Tsp olive oil
1/2 Tsp minced fresh ginger
1/2 Tsp minced garlic
1 Tsp Shaoxing wine
1 Tsp soy sauce
1/4 Tsp salt, and extra
1 Tsp pepper and extra
water, if necessary

Garnish

red cabbage
white cabbage
julienne carrot
soy sauce

Method

In the rice cooker, add cooked rice, two stocks (2 c each stock first), fresh ginger, garlic, oyster sauce, soy sauce to pot and turn on rice cooker. Uncovered and stir occasionally for 45 minutes; to make sure it’s not sticking to the bottom or until congee is smooth and no longer grainy and broken. Add more prawns or chicken stock and water if necessary.

In a bowl, combine minced pork, ginger, garlic, Shaoxing wine, salt, pepper, soy sauce, and oil. Mix well and set aside in the refrigerator. When congee is nearly done; has the right consistency: creamy. Add minced pork to congee, breaking down minced pork, and simmer until minced pork is cooked, for about 10 minutes. When congee is done, change setting to ‘keep warm’ for 5 more minutes. The idea is to make sure the minced pork is cooked completely. It’s time to see if you might need more stocks or water.

Stir and add salt and pepper to taste. Spoon into bowls and drizzle all around the congee with soy sauce. Garnish with red and white cabbage along with julienne carrot. Enjoy!!!

Note: You can use any ingredients of your choice. Or you can add the ingredients like my grandma and mom do as mentioned above. You might want it to be more liquid, so add more stock or water. You can put preserved olive leaves, Chinese doughnut, or fried tofu. Or create your own flavour ingredients. You can use vegetables, or box ready stock or cube packet stocks.

https://helenscchin.com/2020/10/26/minced-pork-congee-with-red-and-white-cabbage-and-julienne-carrot/

#helenscchinrecipes
#mainmeals
#asianculinarycurrynoodles
#cookingforthefun
#foodiesplus