Congee - Delicious Chinese Rice Soup

It’s Sunday afternoon. You don’t feel like cooking that much. In fact, your feeling fragile and tired - in need of a little comfort.

Why don’t you make Congee? It’s filling, nourishing and oh so easy to prepare. Unlike many Chinese dishes, all the ingredients for this simple rice soup are usually on hand in most kitchens. All you really have to do to is simmer rice, salt and oil very slowly in water for a couple of hours - slow food at its best actually.

Sounds bland I know but after you’ve added a few garnishes and the like it becomes something quite special. Traditional accompaniments are salted fish or other strongly flavoured food that contrasts nicely with the rice. (See my tips below for suggestions.)

If you’ve been to Yum Cha at a Chinese restaurant you may have noticed a trolley with thick white soup, often accompanied by long pieces of fried bread. It can also be called Jook but most Westerners seem to avoid ordering it, probably because it doesn’t look that interesting.

I much prefer my home version anyway - playing with the condiments and creating my own blend of flavours is fun.

The Congee I’m making as I write this will be served for supper this evening with diced BBQ pork ( I’ll pick this up late today at a Chinese restaurant), black vinegar, soy sauce, fried shallots, coriander and fresh chilli. These easily convert plain Congee into a fantastic evening meal when something warm and comforting is just what you feel like. And there’s often some left-over for tomorrow …

Congee

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup jasmine rice - rinse it well
• 2 litres water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon oil - I use grapeseed but any vegetable oil will do

Method

1. Bring the water to the boil
2. Add rice, salt and oil
3. Simmer for a couple of hours, stirring from time to time to stop the rice sticking to the bottom of the pot
4. Watch for the rice to have ‘bloomed’ completely and for the consistency to be that of a thick soup

My Tips

• You can double the recipe without any difficulties - cooking time is about the same
• You can add pork fillet that has been diced finely and marinated in a little soy sauce and a drop or two of pure sesame oil; steamed white fish; steamed chicken; BBQ duck or pork, thinly sliced …
• Suggested condiments are diced green shallots, fried shallots, black vinegar (both available at Chinese supermarkets) light soy sauce, coriander, crushed, roasted peanuts, sliced or diced fresh chilli
• Condiments are prepared and served in little dishes on the table - everyone makes up their own favourite combination

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