Comfort food is my favorite food. Every cuisine has it, and Chinese is no exception.
Congee, sometimes called “juk,” is a staple of Chinese comfort-food cuisine. It fills the role that oatmeal does for Americans at breakfast time, and that chicken soup does for the rest of the day. It can be eaten at any time for a warm, filling meal.
Congee is at its heart a really simple rice porridge (though there are plenty of secret family recipes for how to cook the rice). But the dish isn’t really about the rice; it’s about all the things you can add to it. Ladle some into a bowl, and then heap your favorite ingredients on top. For breakfast you might add fruit, berries, and/or honey (or perhaps maple syrup). For lunch or dinner you might take a more savory route, adding protein (including a soft-boiled or fried egg), various Asian sauces (hoisin, soy, oyster…), cilantro, green onions, chopped nuts… there are no limits as to what you can layer on top of a bowl of congee.
The porridge takes just under an hour to make and is ridiculously simple (giving you more time to work on the toppings!). It also refrigerates and reheats well, so you can make a batch and consume it over several days.
Recipe here.
Enjoy,
Kevin
