Comfort Food

Congee - Comfort Food

There many versions of this, the plainer versions are eaten for breakfast. For me this is especially good when enduring a cold, however, the Chinese say, do not eat chicken soup, when you have a cold. Drink a bitter Chinese tea!

1 ½ cups short-grain rice
1/4 cup red onion diced
1 carrot diced
1 cup diced celery
6-8 chicken wings, or chicken with bones like drumsticks or thighs
10+ cups water (best if part of the liquid chicken broth)
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

In a large pot, bring the water/broth and rice to a boil.
When the rice is boiling, turn the heat down to medium low. Place the lid on the pot, tilting it to allow steam to escape - the same as you would do when making cooked rice.

Cook on medium low to low heat, stirring occasionally, until the rice has the thick, creamy texture of porridge (1 - 1 1/4 hours). Take any chicken meat off bone and add meat back to congee - the Chinese do this as they eat the soup. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with garnishes such as crushed peanuts, parsley or cilantro, chopped green onion, if desired.