Congee (savoury rice porridge)

Ingredients

• 2 cups worth of chicken bouillon cubes
• 1 cup uncooked white rice, frozen
• 8 cups water
• White pepper
• Green onions
• Century egg
• Salt

Directions

Rice to liquid ratio is 1:8

Prepare the rice for freezing

1. Rinse the rice just enough to rid it of any impurities while leaving the starch.
2. Place the washed rice in a freezer-safe bag and freeze for a minimum of 6 hours.

You can freeze several bags for future use. This rice can remain in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Cooking congee on the stove

1. Bring the 8 cups of water to a boil on the stove, then add the bouillon cubes until they dissolve
2. Lower the heat and add the frozen rice grains without thawing. Bring it back to a boil and then lower the heat to medium to let it gently simmer for about 25-30 minutes, stirring every now and then to prevent the rice catching at the bottom of the pot. The rice grains will slowly release more starch and get smoother and creamier starting at about 20 minutes or so

If you are adding meat like chicken, beef, pork, fish, add only after the porridge has thickened. Add them in at this point and stir until they are cooked through. Season with white peoper and salt to your taste, green onions, century egg and serve immediately while the porridge is hot

Notes

• The longer the porridge sits, the thicker it will get. You can always thin it out by adding more water
• I tried cooking this recipe with frozen and non-frozen uncooked rice. The non-frozen tasted fine, but it had more bite to it. So you can save the time it takes to freeze the rice if you’re in a hurry. If I have the time, I’ll still freeze it for the improved texture.

Source: What to Cook Today