Another classic congee dish: the comforting Chicken Congee 生滾雞粥, a creamy rice porridge infused through and through with yummilicious chickeny flavor and dotted with lusciously tender chicken pieces.
Congee 粥 is a traditional Cantonese type of rice porridge, wherein the rice grains are cooked down until deliciously thick and creamy before being served with different meats and aromatics. This congee is made with the 生滾 method, translated as "raw boiled" method. Raw ingredients are cooked directly in the congee itself, allowing the flavors of the raw ingredients to permeate the congee.
We've previously used this method with our fabulous Fish Congee 魚粥. You'll find that it's an easy way to make a most yummilicious and comforting congee!
The first step to this chicken congee is to make a big pot of 'basic congee'. Basic congee is rice grains cooked with a few choice flavoring ingredients until a subtly flavor infused creamy rice porridge is made. We have recipes for three kinds of bsic congee: Basic Congee with Dried Scallop & Tofu Skin 腐竹瑤柱粥, Quick Basic Congee with Century Egg 皮蛋粥, and Chinese Basic Congee 粥.
The first basic congee (made with scallops!) is the most exquisite with delicately nuanced flavors but takes the longest to make. The second, made with century egg, is the quickest to make and umami packed but requires a bit of day before prep and an overnight in the freezer. The last is the most basic of all, just made with rice and water.
Choose your basic congee and make a big potful and then it's onto the chicken!
Once the basic congee is made (pssst...you could make it a day earlier) you're ready for the next step. The raw chicken, chopped to bite size pieces, is marinated in ginger, spring onions, salt and white pepper. Note that we used bone-in chicken as cooking with bone results in superior flavor.
While your chicken marinates, reheat the pot of congee. Add a wee bit of water as the chicken needs time to cook and we don't want the congee to get too thick and scorch on the bottom. Once the congee is bubbling away drop the chicken pieces in and let em cook.
All the goodness of the chicken is absorbed into the congee as the chicken cooks. It's as if the basic congee is injected with a big ol' dose of chicken soup! Genius, amirite?!
When your chicken is cooking, prepare the serving bowls for the congee. First add the final aromatics, thinly sliced slivers of ginger and spring onion, into the bottom of each bowl. These aromatics will be cooked later when the hot congee is poured over it, releasing their fresh aromas into the congee.
Once the chicken is cooked through, place the chicken pieces over the aromatics. Then the congee is scooped into each bowl. Oooo...looks amazing! The last touch is to sprinkle a bit more freshly chopped spring onion over all, a final touch of fresh green.
That's it. Your Chicken Congee 生滾雞粥 is done, a big bowl of the warmest chickeny-est comfort food all ready to slurp down! Hope y'all enjoy this congee!
Chicken Congee Recipe
生滾雞粥
(makes 4 bowls) Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 10 mins
Basic Congee Cook time: 30 mins-1 1/2 hr (depends on recipe used)
Ingredients:
- 4 bowls Basic Congee (see our basic congee recipes links below)
- 11 oz bite-sized bone-in chicken pieces, 300g
- 5 slices fresh ginger
- 1 sprig spring onion, sliced to 2 inch lengths
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 tsp oil
- 2 tbsp fresh ginger, sliced to very thin slivers
- 4 tbsp spring onion, sliced to slivers
- 3 tbsp spring onion, sliced to rounds
Directions:
Prepare congee: Use one of our basic congee recipes (links below) to prepare the congee base. The basic congee recipes differ in flavor and length of time to prepare. Please choose the one to your liking. The congee can be prepared one day in advance.
Marinate: Place chicken pieces in bowl. Add in the ginger slices, spring onion lengths, salt, white pepper and oil. Mix. Let marinate for 15 mins.
Cook chicken congee: Add basic congee and 1/2 cup water to a pot and heat over medium heat until congee is just simmering.
Add the chicken pieces to congee and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked, about 10 mins. Be careful that the congee doesn't get too thick as you cook as it will scorch on the bottom. Add water to thin in that case.
Once the chicken is cooked, adjust the final congee texture to your liking. Add a bit of boiling hot water to thin the texture. Or if the congee is too watery, cook for another minute or so to thicken.
Prepare congee bowls: Distribute equal amount of ginger and spring onion slivers to 4 empty serving bowls. Distribute cooked chicken pieces equally to each bowl. Scoop congee to fill the bowls. Sprinkle spring onion rounds over each bowl of congee. Serve hot and super comforting! Enjoy!
Basic Congee Recipes at The Hong Kong Cookery:
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