One of my many favourite dishes I grew up with is congee – also known as ‘rice porridge’, rice first marinated in salt and oil to allow the rice to break down quicker and easier to absorb flavours, then cooked in water or broth with other ingredients such as meat, seafood, dried mushroom and lots of different pickles vegetables to boost the umami flavour, cooked until it is velvety and pillowy (somewhere between porridge and soup). My mother used to serve congee with two types of fried noodles on the side, some people love to add fried bread sticks, pickled eggs and nuts to add texture. But congee can be eaten as a full meal as it is, depends on what ingredients you put in it, like the recipe I am sharing with you here, with just a few simple toppings, you have a bowl of flavourful, warm-your-heart-and-belly goodness to enjoy. It is the ultimate comfort food of my childhood, even now, I crave for it from time to time, especially when I feel like something kind to my tummy and flavour that reminds me of home.
By the way, this is not a traditional recipe for congee, but I am using the principal of its cooking method and the ingredients that are available to me here in Germany. The wonderful combination of flavours I create here ticks all the boxes in terms of flavour, texture and satisfaction. So if you like it and make it, I would love to hear from you! Leave a comment here or tag me on Instagram!
Take care and until next time!
Notes:
* Jasmine rice will be the best rice to use for congee, but since I don’t have any at home, I use sushi rice, and it is just as good. Any short grain rice should work too.
** I use only water as I have the dried scallop to add umami flavour, but you can use dashi stock as an alternative. The amount of water stated here is a guideline, since different rice performs differently so you might need to add more broth or water to achieve the texture you like. I like the final dish quite thick, but if you prefer a thinner texture, add more stock or water if needed. Please note that there is another 250ml (1 cup) of liquid from rehydrating the scallops, so if you are not using scallop, then you will need 7 cups of water or broth altogether.
***if you have dried shiitake mushroom, you can use a mix of dry and fresh for the topping if you like.
Ingredients:
serves 4
For the congee
- 1 cup Jasmine rice or short grain rice*, rinsed and drained
- 6 cups of water or dashi stock (about 1.5L) plus more if needed**
- 4-5 small dried scallops, rinsed (optional)
- Salt
- 1 tsp. neutral taste vegetable oil
- 1.5 heaped tbsp. miso paste (I use red miso)
- toasted sesame seeds for garnish (optional)
- 2 free range eggs (for serving)
For the Tamari Shiitake:
- 200g fresh Shiitake mushroom, brush cleaned and sliced***
- 2 tbsp. tamari (or regular soy sauce)
- 2 tbsp. Mirin
- 1 tsp. agave syrup (or brown sugar or maple syrup)
- 1/2 tsp. rice vinegar
- Vegetable oil
- A small knob of butter
- Freshly ground black pepper
For the spicy sesame spring onions:
- 3-4 stalks of spring onions, finely sliced
- 1/2 tbsp. sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp. of chili flakes (I use Togarashi), plus more if desire
To prepare the congee, in a medium bowl, combine rice, oil and salt and let it marinate for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, rehydrate the dried scallops by submerging them in 1 cup (250ml) of just boiled water. Set aside.
Make the tamari marinade: combine tamari, mirin, syrup and rice vinegar in a small bowl, mix well and set aside.
When the 30 minutes is up, add rice in a medium large sauce pan, then pour in 1.5L of water plus the rehydrated scallops and its soaking water. Bring everything to boil and then turn down the heat to medium low, let it simmer for 30 minutes, stir occasionally to prevent scorching. It will get thicker after 15 minutes so it is a good time to give it a good stir. After the 30 minutes, the rice should become very soft and porridge like.
When you are happy with the texture, remove from heat, stir in the miso paste until fully combine. Have a taste, season with salt or add a bit more miso paste. It shouldn’t be overly salty as the toppings and the marinade will give a final seasoning to the whole dish.
Make the spicy sesame spring onion by combining all ingredients in a small bowl, set aside.
Make the jammy eggs: place eggs in a pot of cold water and bring to a boil, if the eggs are large, boil them for 5 minutes and immediately submerge them in cold water, shell and cut in half just before serving. Half of the egg for each person.
While the congee is cooking, make the tamari shiitake. Heat 1.5 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a frying pan, add the mushroom and sauté for a few minutes or until the mushroom is cooked through and turns slightly char, add the butter if use. Remove from heat and drizzle 2 tablespoons of the marinade on top, mix well and set aside. Keep the rest of the marinade for serving.
To assemble: ladle the congee in warm bowls and then top it with shiitake, jammy egg, sesame spring onion, toasted sesame seeds (if use) and finally, spoon over the remaining marinate to each bowl, and serve immediately.
ginger & chorizo 