Congee Comfort
It is difficult to believe that this is now a household of one. I will be sharing more about that journey on this substack, I hope that you will follow me there. Today I found solace in making a simmering pot of congee. A classic rice porridge with so many variations. This one is mine. It is not completely made with rice, rather a mixture of rice and oatmeal. In addition to boosting the nutritional value it offers a nice dose of toothiness. So let us talk through my congee journey.
What is congee?
In its simplest form congee is a rice soup or porridge. Rice is cooked for a long time with ginger and chicken stock. The soft soothing white mass is pure comfort at its best. A cross between porridge and soup in my opinion. Topped with a variety of savory condiments such as chili oil, sausage and the like it is flavorful and mild all at once. Congee is a classic Chinese dish.
My Congee Story
The heart is trying to find its new beat. It is hurt and will need some time to feel itself again. It is funny how when we crave comfort, we reach out to age old time tested comfort foods. Congee might not be a part of my childhood memories, however it soothes and offers coziness nonetheless. There is something universal about a dish like this. It finds all the nooks and crannies that need some healing and gets right there.
My congee variation
In this recipe, I cook rice and oatmeal along with some bone-in chicken, I really used one chicken drumstick and some rice, oatmeal and just a tiny bit of fresh turmeric. I do serve this with the chili oil and actually a generous squeeze of lime juice. Before serving I removed the chicken from the bone and shredded it into the congee. All in all maybe a little more flavorful that the original but still pretty good.
Simple comforting ideas can include, yogurt rice or red lentil soup chickpea soup.
Ingredients
- 3 cups water
- 1/4 cup jasmine rice
- 1/4 cup steel cut oatmeal
- 2-inch knob of ginger, thinly sliced
- 1 small piece of fresh turmeric, thinly sliced (optional)
- 1 chicken drumstick
- Salt or soy sauce to taste
- Chili oil, lime juice, black pepper and cilantro to serve
Instructions
- Place the water, jasmine rice, oatmeal, ginger, turmeric and chicken drumstick and salt or soy sauce in the instant pot.
- Set to porridge mode for 20 minutes and let it cool naturally.
- Remove the lid and remove the chicken drumstick. Stir the congee well and check for seasonings.
- Remove the obvious pieces of ginger and turmeric.
- Shred the chicken and return to the congee.
- Serve with chili oil, lime juice, black pepper and cilantro to serve.