Congee

There's nothing more comforting than a piping hot bowl of congee. Tweak the recipe by serving it with different toppings like Chinese sausage or crispy wonton strips.

Serves 4  Prep Time 15 minutes  Cooking Time 40 minutes

For the chicken stock
1 whole chicken (about 1 kilo)
fish sauce (patis)
sesame oil

For the congee
1 cup glutinous rice
1 cup clam stock
1 cup water (as needed)
4 tablespoons fish sauce (patis)
3 tablespoons sesame oil
1 (thumb-size) piece ginger, cut into strips

For the toppings
shredded chicken breast
clams
century eggs
garlic chips
lobster balls or squid balls
chopped spring
onions and pickled vegetables, to serve

1  Make the chicken stock: Cook chicken in 5 to 6 cups water on a slow simmer. Remove chicken, shred flesh, and reserve stock. Season stock with a little fish sauce and sesame oil; set both chicken meat and stock aside. (Click to see How to Make Chicken Stock here)

2  Make the congee: Wash glutinous rice and place in a heavy-bottomed casserole or stockpot. Add clam stock and 3 cups chicken stock; bring to a boil then lower heat to a slow simmer. Stir every few minutes to ensure that no grains stick to the base of the pot. Cook for about 30 minutes until rice begins to look puffy. Add water as needed to get the right consistency.

3  Add fish sauce, sesame oil, and ginger. Serve immediately with toppings of choice.

Other congee recipes:  Tilapia in Rice, Congee-style, Chicken Adobo Congee, Tagalog-style Superior Congee

Photography by Miguel Nacianceno | Food Preparation by Myke "Tatung" Sarthou of Chef Tatung’s | Prop Styling by Liezl Yap | Props from Saizen