Congee

Cantonese people call it jook. I just found out where the word Congee came from. It came from other asian countries.  That’s all I know. But we always called it jook, or rice porridge. It’s a chinese soup, with a thick gooey stock made from watered down rice cooked over a loooooong period of time. Using a crock pot is the BEST way to make it, on low heat, for 8 hours. I’ve tried making it on the stove, and the consistency just isn’t right.  It’s okay, but it isn’t like the consistency you’d get at an authentic Chinese restaurant. We eat it mainly for breakfast or brunch, but it can be eaten any time during the day, and especially if you’re sick, because it’s like a chinese chicken soup.  I always add chicken to mine, it gives it a lot more flavor.

Congee with Chicken (Serves 6-8)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked rice
• 12 cups water
• 1 medium chicken breast, fresh or frozen
• 2 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 2 preserved duck eggs (century eggs), chopped (optional)

*cut all ingredients in half for half the servings.

Directions:

1) Pour 1 cup rice into crock pot.  Add whole chicken breast, water, salt and pepper.

2) Cook on low for 8 hours. DO NOT STIR.

3) This is what it should look like when it’s done.

4) Remove chicken breast and shred with fork, put it back into the jook.

5) Add preserved duck egg into jook now. The images below show you what they should look like, so don’t panic if you crack them open and they are black, with crystallization patterns on the skin, and a creamy green yolk.

6) Serve jook with pork sung or chopped green scallions.