Congee is a bland Chinese rice porridge that can be served plain, sweet, or savoury, often enhanced with ingredients like meat or fish, and is commonly eaten as a meal, especially by those 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. But even when I don’t feel sick, I still find it as satisfying meal. Well, my first time cooking congee with my mom helping me on the method. She cooks in a rice cooker.
My congee is made with prawn heads, chicken stock, fish fillets, and minced pork, garnished with leftover stuffed roast pork recipe attached below, rocket leaves, sesame seeds, and fried shallots. It’s a comforting and flavourful dish. Let’s cook!!!
Ingredients
Stuffed roast pork roll
1 packet Woolworths stuffed roast pork, bought
Fish and minced pork congee
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
leftover stuffed roast pork
white sesame seeds
fried shallots
Method
Stuffed roast pork roll
Do one day in advance
Unwrap the roast. Pat the skin dry with a paper towel. Leave it in the fridge overnight uncovered. This makes the skin crispy (crackling). Rub the skin with 1 tbsp of olive oil and a heavy sprinkle of salt.
The next day
Preheat your oven to 240°C. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes at this high heat. Turn the oven down to 180°C. Cook for another 1 hour and 15 minutes (or 25 minutes per 500g) until the meat is done and the skin is crispy. Take the roast out. Cover it with foil. Let it sit for 15 minutes before slicing. This keeps the meat juicy.
Fish and minced pork congee
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’. 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 warmed up in air fryer leftover sliced roast pork roll for me, but for you add the cooked sliced roast pork roll, rocket leaves, white sesame seeds and fried shallots. Enjoy with a glass of white wine!!!
Note: Yes, you can put the remaining cooked roast pork roll in the fridge. It will safely last for 3 to 4 days when stored properly. Put the pork in the fridge within 2 hours of cooking. Place the meat in a shallow container or wrap it tightly in foil or plastic wrap. This keeps the meat moist and stops bacteria from getting in. When you eat it again, make sure the meat gets hot and steaming all the way through.
If you know you will not eat the leftovers within 3 or 4 days, put the pork in the freezer instead. It will stay safe to eat in the freezer for about 2 to 3 months.
You can use any ingredients of your choice for your congee. 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 white sesame seeds and fried shallots. You can add spring onion, vegetables of your choice, 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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