The Congee
Brown Rice Congee with Chicken and Crispy Noodles
My college roommate, who is first-generation Chinese American, did wonders with the little rice cooker we kept in our dorm room. After we had made a midnight snack of rice to eat with tinned fish or seitan in gravy, we’d toss it in the fridge. The next day, she would add what seemed like a huge amount of water to the remains and cook it in the rice cooker, and that handful of grains turned into a deeply satisfying porridge for breakfast. These days I make my congee with homemade chicken stock or mushroom stock and I make sure it holds together nicely with a secret addition of sticky mochi rice. But I’ll never forget the miracle of a meal made from almost nothing—maybe that extra container of rice left after takeout—and its eminently soothing nature.
By the way, you don’t have to fry noodles to top the soft porridge, but if you feel like a little party on your stovetop, you should do it (or you can top your congee with crisp-toasted baguette slices, as I had in Indonesia, where chicken and rice porridge is called bubur ayam).
Extra ingredients: cooked rice, cooked chicken
Time: 30 minutes (10 minutes active)
Makes 2 main course servings or 4 appetizer servings
9 cups chicken stock, homemade or low-sodium canned
2 cups cooked brown or white rice
½ cup uncooked sweet rice (mochi gome)
4 ounces cooked chicken, shredded (about 1 breast)
Fine sea salt to taste
½ teaspoon finely chopped ginger
2 teaspoons finely minced jalapeño pepper (seeds and membrane removed before chopping)
4 teaspoons sliced scallions, dark green tops only
2 boiled eggs (6-minute eggs shown), peeled and quartered
A handful of puffed noodles, optional but delightful
Sweet soy sauce (kecap manis, or equal parts soy sauce and dark brown sugar, heated over low heat until the sugar dissolves), also optional but delightful
1. In a medium saucepan over high heat, bring the stock to a boil and stir in the cooked rice and sweet rice. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is a porridgelike texture, about 25 minutes. Some rice will absorb more water than others, so feel free to add a little water or stock if the porridge is too stodgy. Stir in the chicken and let it warm through gently, 1 to 2 minutes. Taste the congee and adjust the salt if necessary, keeping in mind that the soy sauce on top will also contribute saltiness.
2. To serve, ladle congee into bowls and top with the ginger, jalapeño, scallions, egg, and puffed noodles, if using. Serve with sweet soy sauce, if desired.
VARIATIONS
- Change the rice. If you are lucky enough to have any left over, try purple or black rice for this congee. White rice will give you the most cohesive, creamy porridge texture.
- Change the meat. Most meats will do well as a congee topping. Heat shredded stewed beef or not-too-saucy pulled pork with the congee itself. With rare lamb or beef, slice it thinly and use as a garnish.
- Make it vegetarian. Make the congee with a shiitake mushroom broth and top it with chunks of silky tofu and a few sautéed mushrooms.
- Add more toppings. Other delicious options: sliced steamed asparagus, sautéed mushrooms, pea sprouts, snow peas, sautéed shallots, and finely sliced garlic.
- Try other crispy toppings. Instead of noodles, you can top with peanuts, Chinese doughnuts, toasty baguette slices, fried shallots, or store-bought fried noodles.
GETTING TO COOKED
PUFFED NOODLES
2 ounces rice noodles
Neutral oil, such as canola or grapeseed, for frying
Flaky sea salt to taste
Fill a large deep-sided skillet (such as a cast-iron pan) with ½ inch of the oil. Heat the oil over medium-high heat to 375°F. Have ready a slotted spoon or spider and a cooling rack set over a baking sheet. Break the noodles in half. Take a small handful and drop them into the hot oil, separating clumps cautiously with the spoon. They will seethe and puff instantly. When all the noodles have puffed, remove them to the prepared cooling rack. Check the oil temperature and repeat with the remaining noodles, working in batches. Season the noodles to taste with sea salt.