What in the World is Congee??

The first time I tasted congee, I knew I had to learn how to make it.  Congee is Chinese Rice Soup.  Ever since I was a kid, I have always loved rice, all kinds - jasmine, basmati, arborio, long grain, wild, etc.  For this recipe, you can just use regular short grain white rice.  Congee has a porridge like texture, but it's very flavorful.  The ginger and oyster sauce give it a really good flavor.  The recipe below is for a larger pot of congee.  It's probably better to cut this recipe in half.

Bringing the congee to a simmer with all of the ingredients added.

The finished product - you can see how thick the congee gets.  Don't 

be afraid to add more water if you want it a little more soupier.

The Final Plating

If you've had congee before, you will notice that this one is a little thicker than usual.  That's just my personal preference.  Feel free to add more water or stock to the dish.  Traditionally, it should be more of a porridge consistency.  Also, don't be afraid to add and change up ingredients - different vegetables, chicken, shrimp, etc.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Large Onion diced
• 4 Carrots Diced
• 36 oz. Mushrooms
• 3 cups Rice
• 1 pkg. Frozen Peas
• 1 Bunch Scallions
• 3 Garlic Cloves - minced
• 2 tbs. Sesame Oil
• 2 Tbs. Oyster Sauce
• 2 Tbs. Ginger (minced)
• 1 Gallon of Stock

DIRECTIONS

Saute mushrooms and then add the onions and garlic. Sauté onions until translucent and then add carrots and stock. Bring to a soft boil and then add peas, sesame oil, oyster sauce, and ginger. Bring to a simmer and then add the rice. The soup will get very thick because of the rice, so make sure to stir occasionally to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan. It will take the rice about 20 minutes to cook, just keep it on a simmer for 20-30 minutes - do not cover.  Serve in a bowl and garnish with scallions.