Congee

  AKA: Jook is more common in Asian countries and consumed mainly at breakfast. It basically consists of a small amount of rice cooked in a large amount of liquid. What you end up with is this lovely sort of savory hot rice cereal. I don't like the word porridge, so I will refrain from using it. I cannot sing the praises of this dish loud enough (and trust me when I say Me + Singing = Bad News, Honey!) Very allergy friendly and you get to choose your own toppings!

   Start with a good chicken stock. I am in love with Kylie Kwong's Simple Chinese Cooking. In it she has this awesome recipe for a rich Chinese chicken stock, and I've adapted it to suit my schedule.

1 (3lb) Whole Chicken, neck and all. (Check the cavity for any packaging though!)
8-10 cups of water
10 Green Onions, cut in half crosswise
10 Ginger Slices
1 Red Onion, cut in chunks
10 Garlic Cloves, smashed

Basically I plunk everything in my slow cooker and let it cook on low for about 6 hours.

THEN...

   Pull the chicken out of the pot, and set to cool. Fish out all the veggies that have lent their goodness to the stock. I put these on a plate also and let them drain for a bit, adding back to the pot any juices that have collected. Discard the veg. Strain the stock through a sieve- you can line it with cheesecloth if you feel the need to catch the finer bits that may be floating around. You can usually find cheesecloth in any grocery store in the baking aisle. Usually I will refrigerate the stock overnight to let the fat solidify on top. I scrape this off before making the congee.

   Start pulling apart your chicken, discard the skin and bones. I give some of the more unsavory bits to my cat, and he loves me for it! Save the meat for your completed dish.

When you are ready to make the congee....

8-10 cups of Stock
1 cup of Rice- I use Calrose or Glutinous Rice
Salt to taste

   Just bring the stock to a simmer if it's been in the fridge. Add the rice and let it simmer away- usually for an hour or so, stirring occasionally. It will be thick and sort of like a slightly runny oatmeal. (Probably you could do this in the crock too, but I haven't tried it yet.)

Now for the FUN part!

   In the picture above, I have ladled the congee in the bottom of my bowl, some of my cold chicken with tamari on top, then stir fried a few different things and arranged them around the bowl. Today I had some tofu and Chinese eggplant that I stir fried with some black bean sauce and a touch of a garlic chili paste. Then I chopped some miscellaneous mushrooms that I had; some cremini, shiitake, and chantrelle. I stir fried those with some fresh spinach and a Sichuan pepper and salt mixture. The garnish is made of some pea shoots and bean sprouts that I washed really really well in cold running water. I drizzled some sweet chili sauce on top as well as a good toasted sesame oil. Some peanuts and fried green onion and voila!

   It sounds like a lot, but it's SO worth it- and stir frying is quick and easy. This will keep in the fridge for a few days. I just prep all my goodies ahead of time so all I have to do is warm my congee then assemble the lovelies on top when I'm ready to eat. Serve with a nice cup of tea and enjoy!

*Remember*

   You can choose your own toppings- use what you like!