Its freezing cold; I need food that will keep me warm, comfort me, and satisfy my soul to take away the thought of feeling cold. I am searing my basa fillets for some crispness. I bought bean sprouts on sale. My favourite chili sauce is a must in most of my food.
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 recipes have fish brain, intestines’, Chinese donut stick pieces, minced pork, bean sprouts, and at times fried tofu.
I remembered grandma congee ingredients also have salted duck eggs, century eggs, preserved olive leaves, spring onions, black mushroom, 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. Even when I don’t feel sick, I still find it as satisfying meal. Well, my congee is cooked in rice cooker, certainly to warmed me up, satisfying delicious with chili sauce. 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
250 g basa fillets, cut to bite size
2 Tbs oil
2 Tsp 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
bean sprouts
fried shallots
Sriracha chili 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. Now, pat the basa fillets dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture, which can lead to steaming instead of searing. Season the fillets generously with salt and pepper on both sides. In a saucepan, heat it over medium-high heat until hot. Add 1-2 Tbs oil to saucepan and let it heat up until shimmering, which usually takes about a minute. Put on rubber gloves and using a long tong carefully place the basa fillets in the hot skillet.
Cook for 1-3 minutes without moving them, allowing basa fillets to develop a light brown colour and release easily from saucepan. Transfer to paper towel lined plate. 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’. Add seared basa fillets to rice cooker. Stir and cover for 5 minutes or until it is cooked through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with bean shoots, fried shallots and chili sauce is a must for me. Enjoy!!!
Note: You can use any ingredients of your choice. Or you can add the ingredients like my grandma and mom does as mention above. You might want it more liquid, so add more stock or water.
You can omit XO chili sauce. You can put fried shallots, Chinese doughnut, or fried tofu. Or create your own flavour ingredients. You can use vegetables, or box ready stock or cube packet stocks.
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