Congee

I prepare congee weekly for staff meals at work and dinner at home. Congee has been a consistent part of my life, as my dad used to make me pressure cooker chicken congee, a memorable and comforting meal. This recipe's adaptability and affordability make it a versatile dish to use up ingredients in the fridge.

Credit: Jiwon Kim

• serves

  4

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

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Ingredients

• 200 g cooked medium grain rice
• vegetable oil, for cooking
• 2-3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 6 spring onions, thinly sliced (white and green parts kept separate)
• 500 g Swiss brown mushrooms, sliced
• 1 long green chilli, thinly sliced in half-moons
• 1 bunch Asian greens, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce, plus extra to serve
• 1 tsp rice vinegar
• salt, to season
• 1 tsp sesame oil, plus extra to serve
• 10 cm x 4 cm piece ginger, peeled & thinly julienned
• 4 fried eggs (optional)
• ¼ cup coriander leaves, roughly chopped
• chilli oil, to serve
• XO sauce, to serve
• fried shallots, to serve
• 1 youtiao, sliced (Chinese doughnut), to serve (see Note)

Instructions

1. Place the cooked rice into a large saucepan, then cover with water and add a small drizzle of oil over medium-high heat. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice begins to break down.

2. While the rice is cooking, heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat with a drizzle of oil. Add the garlic and cook, stirring until slightly crisp. Stir through the white parts of the spring onion and cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Remove to a bowl.

3. Return the pan to a high heat with a generous drizzle of oil, then add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until browned. Reduce the heat to medium, then return the garlic and spring onion to the pan with the chilli and Asian greens. Cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are cooked and the Asian greens are wilted. Stir through the dark soy and rice vinegar. Set aside.

4. When the congee is ready, season to taste with salt. Stir through the sesame oil. If it’s too thick, add a small quantity of water to reach your desired texture. Remove from the heat and stir through the julienned ginger.

5. Divide congee between bowls and top with the mushrooms and fried eggs (if using). Sprinkle with coriander leaves and the green parts of the spring onion. Bring to the table with a selection of soy sauce, sesame oil, chilli oil, XO sauce, fried shallots, sliced youtiao and serve.

Notes

• This recipe uses medium grain rice, but you can adapt other rice grains to work with this method. Try topping with chicken thigh, eggplant or tofu!
• Youtiao (Chinese doughnuts) for congee are served best warm. Heat in a low oven until slightly crisp and slice to serve.

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

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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.

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