Congee with Chicken

I have tried for years to find a congee recipe I actually like - as opposed to endure - and had given up until recently when I decided to give savoury rice porridge for breakfast once more try. Southeast Asia is home to some of my favourite cuisines as well as a large southern Chinese diaspora, so I decided to take a look at Thai and Vietnamese recipes for congee and use them as a springboard. (Hungry Huy's recipe and Thai Awesome's recipe were particularly helpful.)

As always, I have adjusted the details to better fit my family's tastes. I've also made this recipe a little more approachable in method so that it's a half hour (ish) breakfast instead of an hour plus as it would be cooking the rice from scratch. As always, feel free to make your own changes or to check out the source recipes to try something more authentic!

Congee with Chicken

(3 servings)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon of vegetable oil

1/2 medium onion (minced)

5 cloves of garlic (crushed/minced)

1 1/2 teaspoons of ginger paste

4 cups of hot water

1 cup of cooked brown jasmine rice

1 cup of cooked white jasmine rice

3/4 cup of shredded rotisserie chicken

1 tablespoon of fish sauce

1 tablespoon of bouillon powder

1 teaspoon of dried shrimp

Pinch of white pepper

Salt (to taste)

Soft-boiled egg (optional)

Chili crisp or sriracha (optional)

Black vinegar (optional)

Chopped cilantro (optional)

Chopped green onions (to garnish)

Directions

1) Place a wok or large pot over medium heat, add the oil, and once hot sauté the onion until translucent and tender.

2) Stir in the garlic and ginger and continue sautéing for another minute or two until fragrant.

3) Add the water, rice, chicken, fish sauce, bouillon, shrimp, and white pepper, bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes to allow the rice to become tender and start to break down. (Be sure to stir every five minutes or so to keep the bottom from burning!)

4) Once finished taste and add salt if desired, then serve with your favourite toppings (sriracha and/or chili crisp are my favourites!), garnish with some green onion, and enjoy!