This is simplicity
itself, a dish so fragrant with its key ingredient—broken jasmine rice—that
just washing the rice causes me severe hunger pangs. The rice is then tossed with
a bit of salt and oil to marinate it before it is simmered, and the aromas keep
on getting stronger until it is time to eat, and by then I am utterly ravenous.
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| Broken jasmine rice |
I realize that 17 cups
of anything might seem like a terrifying amount, but this is good stuff that
goes down quickly. Think of it as soup. But if these 17 cups are still causing you distress, divide the recipe in half if there are only two of you and you are not that hungry.
The second time you make this, I guarantee you’ll make the whole amount.
Basic congee and variations
Guǎngdōng zhōu 廣東粥
Guangdong
Makes about 4 quarts
Makes about 4 quarts
Congee:
1 cup broken jasmine
rice (white rice hands-down works better than brown here)
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon fresh peanut
or vegetable oil
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| Marinating the grains |
Optional seasonings
during the cooking:
1 cup broken soy batons
(fuzhu; see Tips), soaked in hot water and chopped
1 tablespoon mushroom
seasoning, or regular soy sauce to taste
¼ cup rice wine (Mijiu)
2 tablespoons finely
minced fresh ginger
Unseasoned stock instead
of water
Garnishes (choose from
any or all, or follow one of the variations below):
Lots of Fried Green Onions
Some oil from the Fried
Green Onions
Stir-fried mushrooms,
vegetables, meat, poultry, or fish
Eggs fried sunny-side up
Shredded green onions,
chilies, cilantro, and/or ginger
Fried Peanuts, slices of
preserved eggs (pidan), or Fermented Bean Curd Cheese
More soy sauce or some
chili oil and/or goop, roasted sesame oil, freshly ground black pepper
1. Rinse the rice in a
sieve until the water runs clear, and then place it in a heavy-bottomed, large
pot. Mix the salt and oil into the rinsed rice and let it sit for at least an
hour so that it gently seasons and tenderizes the grains.
2. Add the water to the
pot, stir, and bring to a full boil before lowering the heat to a gentle
simmer. Cook the congee for 40 or so minutes, stirring occasionally and always
scraping the bottom of the pan, until the grains have bloomed and the liquid
has thickened. (You may also use an automatic rice cooker with a “porridge
setting.”) The congee will be ready when the grains have blossomed into soft
little puffs, but don't overcook the rice to the point that it becomes gluey.
It's important to be able to see each individual grain and to be able to feel
them as they gracefully glide across your tongue.
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| The grains "blossoming" |
3. The most important
key to a perfect bowl of congee is cooking it to the exact point of
doneness—everything else is secondary. Taste the congee and adjust the
seasoning as needed.
4. Divide the congee
into 4 to 6 large soup bowls, leaving enough room for a generous assortment of
garnishes. If you want, let people decorate their own bowls. If you have any
leftovers, microwave just before serving it so that the rice doesn't mush down
as it heats.
Variations:
Lotus leaf congee (héyè zhōu 荷葉粥). This gorgeously scented rice porridge is a specialty of the
Yangtze River area and is usually served cool during hot weather. With little
side dishes, it makes an elegant and tasty way to beat the heat. A good
alternative to the lotus leaves are bamboo leaves. Make the plain congee above
but add either 1 dried lotus leaf or 2 dried bamboo leaves that
you have soaked until pliable and wiped clean. Remove the leaves before
serving.
Chaozhou-style congee (Cháozhōu mí 潮州糜). Follow the directions above for the basic congee, only use 12
cups of filtered water instead of 17, which will give you a thicker,
glossier rice porridge that will serve around 4 people. (This is also the go-to
recipe for people who are not feeling well. Be assured that if you are sick in
China, you will be fed lots of plain congee and good old chicken soup.)
Sweet potato congee (hóngshŭ xīfàn 紅薯稀飯). This is a specialty of Southern Fujian and Taiwan, where whole
restaurants are dedicated to nothing but this delicious congee and an
assortment of small dishes that can be chosen from a menu or from a steam tray
table. Make the Chaozhou-style congee above, but while the rice is cooking,
peel 2 or 3 red sweet potatoes and cut them into large
(1-inch) squares. Steam the sweet potatoes or simmer them in a small amount of
water until they are barely cooked through, and then add them to the congee
about 10 or 15 minutes before it is done; add more water if necessary to make
the congee as thin or thick as you like it..
Pork and preserved egg
congee (pídàn shòuròu zhōu 皮蛋瘦肉粥). Flavor plain congee with 1 tablespoon mushroom
seasoning. Toast 2 Chinese crullers (youtiao) in a toaster
oven until crisp. Meanwhile, heat ¼ cup toasted sesame oil over
high heat and add ¼ cup julienned ginger; fry the ginger until
crisp, then remove to a small dish. Add ½ cup julienned pork to
the hot oil and stir-fry until it has lost its pink color, then divide the pork
and oil among 4 to 6 large soup bowls. Cut 4 preserved eggs (pidan)
into thin wedges and divide them among the bowls. Heat the congee until it
almost starts to boil, and then divide this among the bowls (extra congee can
be added to the bowls halfway through the meal). Sprinkle the bowls with ½
cup finely chopped green onions and ¼ cup fried peanuts. Cut
the crullers into thin rings and serve on the side as crunchy bits to add to
the congee during the meal.
Tips
Broken jasmine rice is one of the great pleasures
of the Chinese grocery store. For one thing, it is considered a “second” and so
is cheaper. But since it has been broken up into small pieces during the
milling of the rice, it also breaks down quickly into congee. The fragrance of
jasmine rice is unequaled and gives the congee a terrific perfume.
For the soy batons, I use the broken pieces at the
bottom of the bag. You will always have these no matter how careful you are,
and this is a great way of using them up. If you don’t have soy batons on hand,
fresh or frozen soy skins are fine, too; just use an approximately equal
amount. These provide creaminess to the congee.
