Congee always evokes memories of childhood for me. When I was growing up, my grandmother made congee every weekend for breakfast for my brothers and I. She served every bowl of congee with a sprinkle of freshly sliced scallions, a drizzle of sesame oil, and a spoonful of oyster sauce. When I moved away to college and had to cook for myself, I only made congee during the cold Michigan winters. Now, I make congee whenever I have leftover roast chicken. My husband grew up eating congee with loads of white pepper added on top of his congee. I tried his version and enjoyed it a lot so I combined both of our versions in this recipe.
Ginger Chicken Congee:
· 1 teaspoon sesame oil
· 1 inch piece of ginger, skin removed
· 1 cup of uncooked jasmine rice
· 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
· 2 teaspoons salt
· 8 cups of water
· ½ cup cooked, shredded chicken
To Serve:
· 1 stalk of scallion, thinly sliced
· 1 teaspoon of sesame oil
· 1 teaspoon of oyster sauce
· ¼ teaspoon of white pepper
Directions:
1) Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add a teaspoon of sesame oil. Add the piece of ginger. Let the ginger toast in the pot for about a minute. Add the rice. Toast the rice for 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken bouillon powder and salt. Add the water to the pot. Turn the heat down to medium-low and let the rice cook for 30-40 minutes. The congee is ready when the rice is cooked and broken into small pieces.
2) Serve with sesame oil, oyster sauce, and white pepper.
Takeaways: I prefer my congee thicker than the congee usually served in Chinese restaurants. I may add another cup of water or less to thin out the congee next time. Usually, when I warm up congee to eat the next day, I mix in water before heating up the congee.