Congee is one of my favorite comfort foods. It reminds me of my family and of home, and of how good food should be. My favorite congee is the congee that my aunt makes the day after Thanksgiving, using the leftover turkey to make the stock to cook the congee in. I love congee as a breakfast food, too, as it is just as capable of curing a hangover as it is warming me right up. Pickled vegetables (radishes, cucumbers, bamboo shoots) with my congee are a must.
I don't think there's a specific method to making congee - it's a lot of eye-balling and tasting and cooking it how you like it - and it's basically just cooking a little bit of rice in way too much water. I've had congees that are very thin and watery, and the rice grains are still pretty much intact. I'll also had congee that's mushy and thick. The consistency depends on how long you cook the rice for - I prefer mine to be on the thick side so it can hold up to any fixings that I scoop up with it. For this week's post I made a mushroom congee that I served with tofu, shiitake mushrooms, and bok choy, along with some pickled vegetables that I found at the nearest Asian supermarket.
A note on my Chinese-food-cooking skills: they're not that great, but I'm working on them. My mom doesn't know how to cook, so I didn't grow up learning any amazing traditional recipes. I did, however, grow up eating amazing Chinese food, and I trust that I know what certain dishes should taste like. This mushroom congee was pretty good, if I do say so myself, but doesn't quite compare to a congee made with meat. Because white rice is so, well, white rice, congee definitely comes out better when made with something juicy, meaty, and fatty (what doesn't come out better when made with something juicy, meaty, and fatty?). As for my mushroom congee recipe, I think that if I had sauteed the mushrooms first with a bit of soy sauce, Shaoxing rice wine, and black vinegar, well, it probably wouldn't have hurt. Keep that in mind if you're making this.
Mushroom Congee
1/2 cup raw white rice
5 cups liquid (water or stock)
1/2 pound of mushrooms, sliced thin (I used dried shiitake mushrooms, reconstituted them in warm water, and used that water as part of the liquid that I cooked my rice in)
Combine rice and liquid in a medium-sized pot. Cover and bring to a boil, then let simmer, still covered, for about 30 minutes. Add the mushrooms to the rice and continue to cook for about 20 to 30 minutes more, uncovered. Remove from heat and divide into serving bowls. Drizzle with a bit of sesame oil and soy sauce, and serve with tofu dish (recipe below - don't forget to spoon some of the sauce from the tofu dish over your congee!) and pickled vegetables, or the toppings of your choice.
Tofu, Shiitake Mushrooms, and Bok Choy
1 pound firm tofu, drained
1/2 pound baby bok choy, washed and trimmed (but still intact)
1 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and cut in half
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine
1 inch piece ginger, peeled and sliced thin
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small bunch chinese chives, sliced thin, or cut with shears
vegetable or peanut oil
Press the tofu by placing it in a kitchen towel between two cutting boards and weighing down with something heavy, such as a cast iron skillet, for up to an hour. Once tofu is pressed, slice crosswise into 1/2 inch pieces. In a large skillet heat 3 cups of water with 2 tablespoons soy sauce and bring to a simmer, then add tofu. Simmer tofu for 15 to 20 minutes, then remove the tofu and set aside, reserving the liquid in a bowl or measuring cup.
Heat a bit of oil in a pan over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, then add bok choy and mushrooms, mixing to combine. Add Shaoxing rice wine and reserved liquid from the tofu and simmer until bok choy and mushrooms are tender and liquid has reduced a bit. Add tofu to the pan and heat through, then add chives and incorporate. Cook for about a minute more, then remove from heat and serve.
No comments:
Post a Comment