CONGEE
4 servings
Congee, its Thai cousin, jok, and its Korean counterpart, juk, will win over even the most tender of stomachs. It is considered breakfast food and is a restorative meal for those recovering from a bad cold. Serve congee with any toppings you like—we are fans of cooked chicken, green onion, sesame oil, and soy sauce.
Place in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse:
- 1 cup short-grain white rice or broken rice
Transfer to a large saucepan and add:
- 6 cups unsalted chicken stock or broth or water, or a combination
- ½ teaspoon salt
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the rice grains puff, then burst open, and the mixture is thick and porridge-like, about 1 hour. Stir more frequently toward the end of cooking to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan. If needed, add a little water to reach a loose, porridge-like consistency.
Ladle the congee into bowls and serve piping hot topped with any of the following:
- Thinly sliced green onion or Crispy Fried Shallots
- A drizzle of toasted sesame oil and/or soy sauce
- Chopped roasted peanuts
- Diced pickled mustard greens
- Sliced cooked Chinese sausage or diced cooked chicken
- Soft-Boiled, Poached, or Fried Eggs
- Thai fried chili paste (use sparingly!), or Spicy Chinese Chile Crisp