Do I Add The Ginger In My Congee Before Or Afterwards

Published: Jun 6, 2020 · Updated: Apr 2, 2022 past ·

Hearty and delicious, craven & mushroom congee is a classic breakfast. Instead of the usual lengthy process, my recipe introduces a quick method to cook it in only xv minutes. Vegetarian/vegan adaptation is included.

What is congee

Known equally Zhou(Jook)/粥 or Xi Fan/稀饭 in Chinese, congee is a classic breakfast dish which is popular across China. Essentially, it refers to rice porridge consisting of white rice cooked in water to a semi-solid consistency. Sometimes, other starchy ingredients are also included, such as millet, mung beans, adzuki beans, sweet white potato, pumpkin, etc.

In northern regions, information technology's very mutual to eat plain congee for breakfast and multi-course dinner every bit a staple together with buns/Bing. Whereas in southern China, particularly in Canton/Hong Kong, congee is often made savoury with meat, vegetables, seasoning and various toppings. Today's chicken & mushroom congee is a classic example of Cantonese congee.

How to brand congee quick & easy

Freeze the raw rice

Cooking congee was a fourth dimension-consuming task for me until the moment when i of my friends in Red china taught me a "Quick Solution": freeze the raw rice overnight and so melt as usual. It takes only about 15 minutes from beginning to terminate to cook a pot of soft, creamy congee. Since and so, I always take some rice in my freezer and I make congee even on busy mornings or whenever I feel like it.

Hither is why frozen rice works wonders for congee making: Later on rinsing under running h2o, the rice grains absorb some moisture. During the freezing process, the moisture expands over time thus forcing the grains to crack (even though not visible to the naked eye). This dramatically reduces the cooking fourth dimension. Y'all might take seen congee recipes using broken rice which follows the same principle.

The cooking procedure

With frozen rice, it only takes 15 minutes to cook a pot of succulent chicken & mushroom congee. Here is the sequence and fourth dimension required:

1. (2 mins) Pour humid water into a pot. Put in the frozen rice, mushroom & table salt. Once it starts to eddy over again, pass up the oestrus to the lowest.
2. (10 mins) Leave to simmer for 10 mins (covered). While waiting, marinate the chicken.
3. (1 min) Add the marinated chicken & ginger to the rice. Cook for one min.
4. (1 min) Turn off the heat. Leave to sit for a further 1 min.

Quick & uncomplicated, isn't it? Transfer the congee to serving bowls then add your desired toppings (suggestions listed below).

What type of rice and pot?

Typical Chinese congee calls for white rice. My favourite is Dongbei Da Mi/东北大米, a type of rice from the northeast region of China, of which the kernels are very small and oval-shaped. Japanese rice and Thai jasmine rice also create a peachy result. Basmati rice is not suitable for making this congee.

This recipe works very well using a regular pot (no rice cooker, instant pot needed). If available, deep clay pots or cast iron casseroles are preferable for their superior heat-retaining performance.

What is the idea rice-water ratio

The other solar day I saw a post on Facebook saying: "Asians don't measure out while cooking. Nosotros just sprinkle on seasoning until the spirits of our ancestors come to us and say: That'south skilful enough." It's funny but and so truthful. As a abode cook, I seldom measure anything (apart from baking). But as a blogger, I ever test my recipes with precise measurement to ensure the best possible result for you. This congee is no exception. My recommended rice-water ratio is one: six past volume. That is to say, for every cup of rice, you would use 5 cups of water.

However, please exist aware that there are two factors that might encourage you to modify it a lilliputian.

• If you prefer a more watery texture for congee, add together another office of water.
• The functioning of your cooker might affect how fast the water evaporates. Accommodate accordingly.

How to make the chicken tender & tasty

Nothing is worst than having tough, chewy, plain flavoured meat in a bowl of fresh congee. How to make the chicken a nice accompaniment to the dish (instead of letting information technology ruin the gustatory modality)? Here are my tips:

• Cut the chicken into narrow strips or thin slices. Brand sure you slice against the grain of the meat. This will ensure the maximum tenderness.
• Marinate the chicken before cooking. A combination of soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil & white pepper adds swell flavours. Shaoxing rice wine helps to eliminate the gamey sense of taste. Cornstarch is used to tenderise the meat.
• Do not overcook the chicken. Add the chicken (forth with minced ginger) into the congee at the very end of the cooking process. Later on one minute plow off the heat, and so leave to sit for a further 1 infinitesimal. Prolonged cooking is non necessary and may result in a tough texture.

Y'all may use other meat to replace chicken, such equally pork, beef, turkey or fish fillet. Follow the aforementioned educational activity: thinly cut, marinate & cook briefly.

What to eat with the congee

Now, a pot of chicken & mushroom congee is made in just fifteen minutes. Stir in finely chopped scallions and it's gear up to be tucked in. How almost adding some handy toppings to make it even tastier? When shooting this recipe, I add together two toppings for extra nutrients, flavour and texture:

• Half of ahard-boiled egg for each bowl (cooked in another pot while making the congee)
• Some crushed, toasted peanuts that I always have in my pantry (for my beloved Dan Dan noodles & Chongqing Xiao Mian).

I have other topping ideas as well:

• Preserved mustard (Zha Cai/榨菜);
• Sliced Chinese doughnut sticks (You Tiao/油条);
• Chinese olive vegetable (Gan Lan Cai/橄榄菜);
• Dried papery shrimp (Xia Pi/虾皮)
• Salted egg yolk (咸鸭蛋)

How to make information technology vegetarian

My recipe shows you the basics of congee making. Please experience free to make alterations to accommodate your personal gustatory modality. For instance, you tin twist this recipe to get in vegetarian or vegan. Here are some ideas:

• Supersede the chicken with five-spice tofu or smoked tofu
• Make information technology a mushroom congee using a variety of mushrooms, such equally rex oyster, enoki, wood ear, etc.
• Use vegetable stock instead of water to heave the flavour
• Add crunchy vegetables, eg. sliced iceberg lettuce, grated carrot, etc.

How to brand ahead/ reheat?

If y'all wish to make ahead of time and eat it after on, I propose you increase the rice water ratio to 1:7 past volume as the rice expands over time. If the consistency seems perfect correct later cooking, it will become too thick/solid when it cools downward. Add some hot water when reheating if the leftover congee appears to exist dense. Stir constantly to avert burning at the bottom.

That said, I strongly recommend y'all savor the congee correct after cooking when the natural fragrance of the rice is at its summit. Unlike some dishes where the flavour intensifies after resting, the taste of rice tends to go bland over time. That is why I am also against the idea of making congee using cooked rice.

For the rice

• ▢ ane cup brusque-grain, or jasmine rice (uncooked), virtually 210g, encounter notation ane
• ▢ half-dozen cups boiling h2o, well-nigh 1½ litre
• ▢ iv dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated & thinly sliced
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt

For the chicken

• ▢ one piece craven breast, cut into narrow strips/sparse slices, nigh 150g/5.3oz
• ▢ ane teaspoon light soy sauce
• ▢ 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Shaoxing rice vino
• ▢ ½ teaspoon cornstarch
• ▢ ½ teaspoon sesame oil
• ▢ one pinch basis white pepper
• ▢ 1 pinch common salt
• ▢ one pinch sugar

You also need

• ▢ 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• ▢ 2 stalks scallions, finely chopped
• ▢ 2 boiled eggs, optional
• ▢ 4 tablespoon toasted peanuts, crushed, optional, see note 2

Freeze the rice

• The night before you cook the congee, rinse the rice under running water. Drain then put into a container/plastic bag. Freeze overnight.

• Soak dried shiitake mushrooms in h2o overnight.

Cook the rice

• Cascade boiling h2o into a pot. Put in the frozen rice. Add table salt, mushroom and the water in which the mushrooms were soaked (it's full of umami flavor).

• Once it starts to boil again, plough downwardly the heat to the everyman.

• Cover with a lid and exit to simmer for 10 mins.

Marinate the chicken

• While waiting for the rice to cook. Marinate the chicken with all the ingredients listed.

Melt the chicken

• Stir in the chicken strips and ginger. Melt for one min then plow off the heat.

• Leave to sit (covered) for a farther 1 min.

Get together the dish

• Add the scallions to the congee. Stir well then transfer into the serving bowls.

• Optional garnish: Top each bowl with half of a hard boiled egg and some toasted peanuts. Serve warm.

1. What blazon of rice? Typical Chinese congee calls for white rice, normally the medium or short grain variety. Chinese rice, Japanese rice and Thai jasmine rice all work well. Basmati rice is not suitable for making this congee.
2. How to toast peanuts? Over depression oestrus, toast skinless peanuts in a frying pan until they lightly chocolate-brown. Transfer to a plate immediately to cool down.

Prove me your dish or ask me questions @crimson.business firm.spice

Author: Wei Guo

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Do I Add The Ginger In My Congee Before Or Afterwards,

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