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.
Well, with not much fresh food on the shelves. I managed to get fish and minced pork and using the food that I have in freezer and the leftover chicken stock that I have made extra to keep for raining day.
My congee is cooked in rice cooker, thus it’s not much of stock in it and garnished with spring onion and siracha chili sauce and pickled ginger. I got to have chili in it, that’s me chili lovers. It’s comforting delicious and flavourful congee. 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
Note: I don’t have enough stock, so I use 1 cube of chicken stock powder with 1/2 c water. But you follow the ingredients above to make the stock.
Garnish
1 stalk spring onion
siracha chili sauce
pickled ginger
Method
In the rice cooker, add cooked rice, two stocks: 1 cup prawn heads stock and 1/2 cup leftover of chicken stock, with 1/2 cup water and 1 cubes of chicken powder stock, then 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 if you want it more liquid. I tried using less water to experiment what the outcomes is.
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: a bit firm yet 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 fish fillets to rice cooker. Stir and cover for 5 minutes or until it is cooked through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with spring onions, pickled ginger, siracha chili sauce and serve with green tea or oo long tea.
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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