Brown rice congee with chicken and ginger

Congee is the ultimate comfort food. There are so many ways to make this classic. My mum always made congee with white rice, but I find brown rice adds nuttiness and texture.

Ingredients

• 1 x cup brown rice, washed thoroughly (I prefer using brown rice, but white rice is perfectly fine)
• 7 x cups water
• 1 x chicken thigh
• 1 x tablespoon garlic, minced fine
• 1 x tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 x teaspoon black pepper
• 1 x thumb-sized piece of ginger, sliced fine
• 3 x whole small anchovies (I use Italian anchovies preserved in olive oil that you can get from most supermarkets)

To serve 

• 1 x teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 x dash of black pepper
• 1 x dash of light soy sauce

Method

In a large pot, add the rice, anchovies and water and bring to the boil. When the water comes to boil, add in the garlic and ginger, and reduce the heat to a low simmer.

Cover the pot and leave to simmer for approximately 2 hours, stirring every 20 minutes or so. It is important to keep stirring the congee and this helps produce the silky texture of the rice, and gives you a chance to make sure that the congee has enough water. After 2 hours, the congee should be silky and smooth with some soft whole grains of rice as brown rice tends to maintain its form better than white rice.

When you’re ready to serve, slice the chicken thigh into thin slices (see below).

Place the chicken slices in the congee and stir to cook through – this should only take about a minute or so. Try not to overcook the chicken as this will make the meat tough; the chicken should be gently poached in the congee.

Serve the congee in a bowl, topped with sesame oil, black pepper and light soy sauce. I sometimes eat my congee like this, plain, however you can serve congee with an array of accompaniments. Some of the traditional ones include century egg, preserved mustard greens, and fried fish with black beans.

Other variations…

I sometimes top my congee with freshly sliced spring onions and deep fried shallots for some crunch. If you’re feeling indulgent, serve with sliced pieces of Chinese doughnut (also known as yu tiao).