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Jook (Congee, or Rice Porridge)

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Makes 6 servings 1x

Time At least 2 1/2 hours

Units Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 cup short-grain rice
  • 2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade, or water
  • 1 3-inch piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1/4 pound slab bacon, optional
  • Soy sauce or salt to taste
  • 1/4 cup crisped, minced bacon, optional
  • 1/4 cup minced scallions
  • 1/2 cup roasted peanuts, optional
  • Sesame oil for drizzling, optional

Instructions

  1. Wash the rice and put it in a stockpot with the chicken stock or water.  Place over high heat until the stock boils, then add about 4 cups of water; bring to a boil and turn the heat to low. Partially cover the pot and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally to make sure the rice is not sticking to the bottom of the pot and adding water as necessary.
  2. Add the ginger and the slab bacon and simmer for another hour or so. The jook should have a porridge-like consistency, so if it becomes very thick, add more water. When it is done, the jook will be soupy and creamy, like loose oatmeal.
  3. Remove the slab bacon and serve the jook in individual bowls; season with the salt or soy sauce, drizzle with sesame oil, then garnish with the minced bacon, scallions, and peanuts. 

— Recipe from The Best Recipes in the World

Recipe variations

Jook with Vegetables
Step 1 remains the same. In Step 2, omit the bacon; soak 4 or 5 dried black (shiitake) mushrooms in hot water until softened, then remove their stems and chop them. Add them to the mix, along with the ginger and 2 carrots, peeled and finely diced, and a large pinch of salt. When the jook is almost done, stir in 1 cup fresh or frozen peas and cook another 10 minutes or so. Proceed as above.

Jook with Meat
Step 1 remains the same. In Step 2 about 15 minutes before the jook is done, add 1/2 pound sliced sirloin or 1/2 pound sliced chicken breast, or 1/2 pound crumbled ground pork or sliced pork. Proceed as above.

Jook with Seafood and Cilantro
Step 1 remains the same.  In Step 2, during the last 10 minutes of simmering, add 1/2 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined, and roughly chopped, or 1/2 pound white fish fillets, skinned and sliced (or use both shrimp and fish). Proceed as above, adding at least 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves for garnish.