THE THING ABOUT CONGEE....
Well, there are many things
Hello!
It’s nearly April, but it’s still snowing here in Upstate New York. I’m not exaggerating—we had a 19 degree day and flurries just yesterday. My parents are visiting, my kids (and I) are home sick, and in the midst of all the joy of the their company—it’s a struggle to feed everyone all the right things.
But of course, we have Congee.
If you follow me on Instagram (please do!), you may have heard me talking about Congee —or savory rice porridge— over the winter. It’s a life saver.
If you grew up in a Chinese, Korean, Japanese or Southeast Asian household*, you already recognize Congee or Jook as the comforting, nourishing meal that it is. If you did not, your first Congee might be something quite remarkable, revolutionary even.
I love this about food—it can be many different things to many different people, depending on where we come from. As a German-Irish-descended Midwesterner (who grew up with white-meat-chicken, biscuits, and pie!)—my first Congee, and second, and seventh, and 70th were quite remarkable indeed. And it continues to be.
That’s because Congee takes two simple ingredients—rice and water (or sometimes, broth, as I often use) and turns it into an entire meal. From there, you can build like Iggy Peck Architect (the boy who made towers from pie—where are my children’s book lovers??)—flavor, texture, aroma, heat—with toppings.
If you hang around with me long enough, you’ll quickly learn that I’m into toppings. Not so much tacos and baked potato toppings—though I like those things—but more like the: here’s a blank slate recipe (POLENTA, THIS VEGETABLE SOUP, PORRIDGE, and CONGEE)—that is delicious with almost any-flavors-you-love-on-top kind.
Congee is a food that THRIVES with toppings—or small dishes and condiments served alongside, intended to be stirred in or eaten on top. In my house, it could be as simple as a fried egg and chile oil (pictured, top), or—when feeling slightly more ambitious—garlicky kale and pan-fried tofu (below). You might rummage through the fridge and find you can pull together a bowl with crispy bacon, ripe avocado and rings of Serrano (above)—exciting!
On the day we shot these I made (and ate) all three—all were divine and live-giving.
I’m sending these out as a lifeline. Maybe you’re three weeks into un-masked schooling and flus and colds have hit your house, too. Maybe you’re heartbroken from a five-week attack on Ukraine that doesn’t make any sense. Maybe you’re stuck in a monsoon season or hanging onto the one week you have left before spring break. I get it. None of us need a project right now—but rather, a lift. Comfort in a bowl.
Congee is there for you—and for me, too.
XO
Sarah
I’m THRILLED AND HONORED to be featured on Substack’s Discover page this week, so if you’re new here—welcome! To celebrate, I’m offering 20% off annual paid subscriptions THIS WEEK ONLY, so this is a perfect time to commit and send one as a gift for yourself, or someone you love.
[RECIPE, BELOW]
ANYTIME-MEAL-WORTHY CONGEE (JOOK)
SERVES 4
CONGEE:
3/4 CUP LONG GRAIN WHITE RICE
4 to 5 CUPS CHICKEN OR PORK BROTH OR WATER (OR HALF BROTH/WATER)
1 TABLESPOON GRATED PEELED FRESH GINGER
PINCH FINE SEA SALT
TOPPINGS:
EGGS, AVOCADO, SCALLIONS, KALE, PULLED PORK, TOFU, ETC. (SEE BELOW)
CHILE OIL, SUCH AS MOM’S MALA, FOR SERVING
INSTANT POT:
RINSE THE RICE UNTIL IT RUNS CLEAR. COMBINE RICE, 4 CUPS OF BROTH, GINGER AND SALT IN A PRESSURE COOKER; SEAL AND COOK ON HIGH PRESSURE FOR 20 MINUTES. LET THE PRESSURE RELEASE NATURALLY (ABOUT 10 MINUTES) AND LEAVE THE COOKER ON KEEP WARM UNTIL READY TO SERVE. OPEN THE LID, STIR AND SERVE WARM IN FOUR BOWLS, WITH TOPPINGS.
STOVE-TOP:
RINSE THE RICE UNTIL IT RUNS CLEAR. COMBINE 4 TO 5 CUPS BROTH (MORE FOR A SOUPIER CONGEE, LESS FOR A TIGHTER PORRIDGE CONSISTENCY), GINGER AND SALT IN A POT AND BRING A BOIL. GRADUALLY POUR IN THE RICE AND STIR TO PREVENT CLUMPING. COOK OVER LOW HEAT UNTIL THICK AND CREAMY, ABOUT 1 HOUR. STIR AND SERVE WARM IN FOUR BOWLS, WITH TOPPINGS.
*Even though I’ve been eating congee for nearly two decades (taught to me by dear friends of Korean and Indonesian heritage), I still have so much more to learn. I especially loved this article in Food52, Congee is A Comforting Rice Porridge with Many Faces, Many Names which clears up some misconceptions and sheds light on the many cultures where you’ll find this native dish. It’s a short, worthy read.
Here are more toppings ideas—some more traditional—from the various cultures from which Congee hails, including salmon and nori, pickled plums, shredded chicken or poached seafood—along with more derivative toppings, too. This is in no way an exhaustive list—all the things you love are welcome, here.
CONGEE TOPPINGS:
ONION-Y THINGS: sliced scallions, fried shallots, garlic chives, garlic chips
SEAFOOD: nori (seaweed), shrimp, scallops, dried shrimp
CHICKEN: stir-fried chicken, shredded chicken, poached crispy chicken skin
MUSHROOMS: Sautéed mushrooms, pickled mushrooms, fried mushrooms
VEGETABLES: Sautéed or steamed kale, spinach, water spinach, broccolini
PICKLED THINGS: pickled ginger, pickled plum, pickled vegetables
EGGS: Fried egg, poached egg, soft-boiled egg, pickled egg
OTHER PROTEINS: pulled pork, cooked ground beef or lamb
You’ll find a lot of of my favorite images on my newsletter, books or Journal are shot in handmade ceramic vessels. I collect them like some people collect jewelry, or art. Many of my favorite makers are friends, other’s artists I admire from afar. Here’s where you can find them:
THREE CERAMICISTS I’M LOVING:
LOST QUARRY // DELICATE FLUTED PLATES + KNOTED MUGS
TELLEFSEN ATELIER // BOLD, COLORFUL PIECES WITH PERSONALITY
LAIL // A CLEAN, BLANK SLATE OF DURABLE NEUTRALS AND COLORS
Photos for this post by Brenda Jolicoeur and Christopher Testani. Food + Prop Styling by Sarah Copeland. Ceramics by Lost Quarry + LAIL.