Chicken Congee 雞粥

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup uncooked rice

  • 8 cups water

  • 1 knob ginger

  • 1 pound chicken breast

  • 2 tbsp oyster sauce (for marinade)

  • 1 tbsp chicken bouillon (for marinade)

  • 1 tbsp water (for marinade)

  • 1 tbsp cornstarch (for marinade)

  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil (for marinade)

  • salt

  • 2 stalks green onion (for garnish)

  • cilantro (for garnish)

Instructions:

  1. Prepare and marinate chicken - cut chicken breast into thin slices, then place in a bowl and add oyster sauce, chicken bouillon, water, mix together, add cornstarch, mix again, then add vegetable oil and mix (so the chicken won't stick together), then set aside while following next steps

  2. Prepare water and rice - start boiling the 8 cups of water in a large pot and wash the uncooked rice a few times, then once the water is boiling, add the rice to the pot of boiling water and stir around

  3. Cook congee - once water is boiling again, partially cover with a lid and lower heat to medium heat for ~30 minutes

  4. Prepare ginger, green onion, and cilantro - while waiting for the rice to cook, cut ginger into thin strips, chop green onion, and cut cilantro

  5. Whisk - quickly whisk the congee for a few minutes to fluff/break up the rice pieces

  6. Adjust - at this point, the congee should be a nice thicker consistency, but adjust to your liking: if you like more liquid congee, feel free to add more hot water and stir, if you like thicker congee, let it sit longer on medium heat

  7. Cook chicken - turn heat to high, and stir in the chicken, slowly incorporating it so it doesn't clump together, and stir until the chicken is cooked (should take only a minute or two)

  8. Add ginger and adjust flavor - add in the ginger strips (can save a few for garnish) and add salt to taste, then give it a final mix

  9. Serve it up - scoop your finished congee into a bowl and garnish with extra ginger strips, chopped green onion, and cilantro

  10. Enjoy!