Chicken Congee

Chicken Congee
Lisa Nicklin for The New York Times
Total Time
2¼ hours
Rating
5(2,204)
Comments
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Congee is regarded as the ultimate Chinese comfort food, according to the author Fuchsia Dunlop. This recipe for ji zhou or chicken congee, from her book on Jiangnan regional cuisine, is dead simple and satisfying. Serve it with chicken and soy sauce for a late-night Shanghai-style snack. —Sara Bonisteel

Featured in: Review: Two Books to Master Chinese Cuisines

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Ingredients

Yield:3 to 4 servings
  • ¾cup/150 grams sushi rice
  • quarts/2.5 liters chicken stock
  • Salt
  • Soy sauce, for serving
  • Thinly sliced spring onions or scallions, green parts only, for serving
  • Finely chopped fresh ginger, for serving
  • Sesame oil, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

385 calories; 11 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 51 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 10 grams sugars; 18 grams protein; 1506 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Rinse and drain the rice.

  2. Step 2

    Put the rice in a pot with the chicken stock and bring to boil. Give the rice a good stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking, then lower the heat and half-cover the pan. Simmer gently for 1½ to 2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes, until the grains have burst open and you have a thick congee. Keep an eye on the pot to make sure the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom. Toward the end of cooking, when the stock has become integrated with the rice and is the consistency of oatmeal, season lightly with salt to taste.

  3. Step 3

    Serve the congee with a sprinkling of soy sauce, spring onion and ginger and a few drops of sesame oil to taste.

Tip
  • The congee will continue to thicken as it cools and can be thinned with additional chicken stock if desired.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
2,204 user ratings
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Comments

I love it too--but I find that it's easier to cook with a crock pot overnight or during the day while I'm at work. And I like to add two or three chicken thighs while it's cooking, dice them, and then stir the pieces back in.

I love congee, and make mine the same way. However, I prefer to put the ginger in as the rice cooks, which I think intensifies the flavor.

This is a common breakfast dish for my partner's family. It's great with some quick scrambled eggs and Chinese pickles. You can use pretty much any rice you have on hand, doesn't have to be sushi rice.

I found 10c of liquid for 3/4c of rice way too much. That may partly be because I used an overnight slow cooker (in instant pot) with lid on and there was not evaporation. But even on the stove I would start with less liquid, like 6c, and add more as needed.

So good and comforting for a sick day. Used homemade lamb stock instead of chicken, fish sauce in place of soy, and garnished with sesame oil, sesame seeds, and green onion. Warm cozy heaven.

…plus a nub of ginger and a big clove of sliced garlic. Forgot to include in original post.

I now cook it in a pressure cooker (electric) and get similar results in much less time, with less effort.

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Credits

Adapted from "Land of Fish and Rice" by Fuchsia Dunlop (W.W. Norton, 2016)

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