China is one of the ancient civilizations of the world, and it is also home to some of the best food on Earth. China has 4,000 years of recorded history, and throughout those millennia one can find the trace of congee throughout.
4,000 years ago, congee was primarily a food, but starting 2,500 years ago, it began to be used in medicine.
Ingredients:
1.5 litre Chicken broth
8 slices fresh ginger
1/2 cup SunRice long grain rice
200g chicken tenderloin, diced into 1cm pieces
1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine
Salt and ground white pepper
2 tablespoons finely sliced green onion
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon fried shallots
2 teaspoons fried garlic
Soy sauce to serve
Method:
Step 1 Bring the chicken stock, water and ginger to a boil in a large heavy based saucepan over a high heat. Add the rice and reduce the heat to medium–low. Simmer steadily for 1 hour, covered stirring occasionally to prevent the rice from catching until thickened and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
Step 2 Add the chicken to the congee, cover and simmer for 4-5 minutes or until the chicken is just cooked. Add the rice wine to the congee and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Step 3 Serve the congee in bowls, sprinkle with the green onion, drizzle with sesame oil and top with the fried shallots and garlic. Serve with soy sauce on the side.