Last night was a rough one at our home. Between a doped-up puppy just out of surgery and a surprise round of food poisoning, no one got much sleep. Today’s looking much better after lots of napping on the couch but food interest is at an all-time low. Congee fits today perfectly – so simple, completely bare if you can’t face real food, but infinite topping potential.
Plain or loaded up, this was exactly what we needed. A poached egg broken on top gives a dreamy richness with a bonus protein kick. Pickled radishes and some scallions & ginger keep things interesting and brighten up the humble base.
Congee is usually a breakfast food but I’ll happily eat it any time of day. You can put nearly anything on top – pork floss, grilled fish, tofu, pickled veggies, cilantro, the list goes on forever. I love adaptable dishes that help finish whatever odds and ends are begging to be used!
I made a quick batch of spicy pickled radishes from Cookie and Kate to perk mine up and highly recommend! Soft egg yolk spills all over and stirs in beautifully. You can make your bowl as carnivorous or vegan as you want.
I like to break the poached egg on top so the yolk runs across the surface. You can also ladle hot congee into a bowl, crack an egg over it, and stir together to get an silky eggdrop flavor throughout as the heat cooks the egg strands.
To speed up the cooking process, start by pulsing dry rice in a blender – smaller grains cook much more quickly and the rice dust is a great thickener.
- ½ cup rice rinsed
- 4 cups chicken broth
- poached eggs
- spicy pickled radishes
- scallions chopped
- fresh ginger grated
- maggi seasoning, sesame oil, soy sauce to taste
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Combine the rice and broth in a large, deep saucepan. Bring to a boil.
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Reduce to a simmer and partially cover. Stir frequently; the more you stir, the creamier the congee!
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After an hour, your congee should be thick and velvety. Ladle into bowls & serve with toppings.
To speed up the cooking time, pulse uncooked rice in a blender for smaller grains.
Nutrition info is for plain congee topped with an egg.
What is “pork floss?”
Pork floss is one of the traditional toppings for congee – pork is slowly stewed until individual fibers fall apart, then dried in the oven & seared. I’d love to make some with this but it’s not a quick weeknight food. 🙂