Congee with pork and century egg (Pei dan sau yuk juk)

Silky and soul-satisfying, this is one of the most popular congee combinations eaten by Hongkongers at breakfast time. It is known for calming the stomach and aiding digestion.

Pei dan sau yuk juk (Congee with pork and century egg) Credit: Alana Dimou

• serves

  2

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  1:10 hour

• difficulty

  Easy

Century eggs (or thousand-year eggs) are a Chinese delicacy made of preserved duck eggs. This congee is a great introduction to the century egg's unique taste.

Ingredients

Basic congee

Serves 8

• 100 g (½ cup) jasmine rice

Pei dan sau yuk juk

• 200 g lean pork fillet, cut into thin strips
• fine sea salt and white pepper
• 500 g (2 cups) Basic congee
• 1 century egg, cut into 8 pieces
• 30 g (½ cup) chopped spring onion, white and green parts
• 4 slices ginger, julienned
• ½ tsp ground white pepper

Refrigeration time: 8 hours (or overnight), optional
Resting time: 2 hours

Instructions

1. For the basic congee, wash the rice, then drain and put it in the freezer for at least 8 hours. (If you don't have time, you can skip this step but it reduces the cooking time and results in a silkier texture.)
2. Combine the rice and 2.5 litres water in a large saucepan and bring to the boil over high heat, stirring constantly to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour or until the rice has broken down and the congee has thickened, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. (If the rice hasn't been in the freezer, the cooking time will be about 3 hours.) If you're eating the congee plain, at this point, you can season the congee with a pinch of salt and white pepper.
3. For the pei dan sau yuk juk, season the pork with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cover and set aside in the fridge for 2 hours.
4. Pour the congee into a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat until hot. Add the pork and cook for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to low. Add the century egg and cook for another 5 minutes.
5. Ladle into bowls, garnish with the spring onion, ginger and more white pepper and serve.

 

Recipe from Hong Kong Local by ArChan Chan, Smith Street Books (RRP$ 39.99). Photography by Alana Dimou.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Century eggs (or thousand-year eggs) are a Chinese delicacy made of preserved duck eggs. This congee is a great introduction to the century egg's unique taste.