Congee

Ingredients

• •1 cup white rice (jasmine or long-grain)
• •8 cups water or chicken broth
• •1-inch piece ginger, sliced
• •2 cloves garlic, smashed
• •2 scallions, whites and greens separated, sliced
• •1 tbsp soy sauce
• •1.5 tsp salt
• •1 tsp sesame oil
• •1/2 tsp white pepper
• •Shredded cooked chicken, thousand-year egg, or fried shallots, for topping (optional)

Steps

1. 1.Rinse the rice in a fine-mesh strainer under cold water until the water runs mostly clear.
2. 2.Place the rice in a large pot with the water or broth, ginger, garlic, and scallion whites, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
3. 3.Once boiling, reduce the heat to maintain a brisk simmer, uncovered, and cook for 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pot to prevent sticking - unlike Western rice soups that keep the grains intact, congee relies on long, gentle cooking to break the rice down completely into a smooth, creamy porridge.
4. 4.If the congee gets too thick, add more water or broth as needed to keep it loose enough to stir easily.
5. 5.Once the rice has broken down into a soft, velvety porridge, remove the ginger and garlic pieces.
6. 6.Stir in the soy sauce, salt, sesame oil, and white pepper, tasting and adjusting as needed.
7. 7.Ladle into bowls and top with scallion greens and your choice of shredded chicken, thousand-year egg, or fried shallots before serving hot.