Lemongrass Scented Congee Recipes

FISH CONGEE

Steps:

• Bring rice and 10 cups (2.5 L) water to a boil in large saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Stir in ginger and salt. Reduce heat to low, partially cover and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until rice has broken apart and is the consistency of thin porridge.
• Cut fish into 1/2-inch (1 cm) cubes. Remove ginger from rice mixture; discard. Stir fish and beans into rice; cover and cook for 5 minutes, stirring once or twice, or until fish is cooked through.
• Ladle into 8 soup bowls. Drizzle with soy sauce and sesame oil. Top with green onions, peanuts and cilantro.
• Chef Tom's Tip: For a heartier dish, replace 4 cups (1 L) of the water with one 900 mL carton of chicken broth.

QUICK MUSHROOM CONGEE

Steps:

• Wash the shiitake mushrooms thoroughly and then boiled with warm water for ten minutes or as long as needed until it's soft. Remove stems and slice when done.
• Put the rice and water into a pot, loosen the rice by separating the grains, and let it boil in high heat for eight minutes. You may have to add more water or broth (Broth will give a more flavorful boost.) if the water is dissolving too fast.
• TIP: Add a tablespoon of corn oil if you wish the congee to be smoother.
• Add mushrooms, ginger, and garlic, and stir. Continue boiling for six minutes. Throughout this period, stir often to make sure the rice does not stick to the bottom of the pot.
• Throw in the rest of the ingredients, stir, and boil for four minutes. Afterwards, lower the heat and let it simmer for two minutes.
• Serve and sprinkle with garnishes as heart's desired.

CONGEE WITH VEGETABLES AND FRESH HERBS

Steps:

• Drain the rice and place it in a large pot with the sweet potato. Cut the lemongrass stalks in half horizontally and add them to the pot. Add the stock and 1 tablespoon salt and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat and simmer, covered, for 35 minutes.
• Remove the lid and increase the heat so the rice is bubbling. Remove the lemongrass and discard. Simmer, stirring frequently to prevent it from sticking, until the rice is tender and has the consistency of a thick porridge, about 15 minutes more. Add the ginger in the last 5 minutes of cooking.
• Heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Add the bok choy and cook until tender and wilted, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and remove from the heat.
• To serve, put the bok choy, scallions, cilantro, and nuts into small bowls. Ladle the porridge into bowls and let diners garnish it with the vegetables, nuts, soy sauce, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes.
• We know that brown rice has more nutrients than white rice, but aside from health concerns, white rice is put through many stages of processing, all requiring fossil fuels and chemicals. First, the germ and bran are removed to extend the length of time the rice can be stored; then synthetic vitamins are added back in; and finally, the rice is polished with water, glucose, or the mineral talc, which is known to cause stomach cancer. The taste of brown rice can take some getting used to, but cooked with fragrant seasonings like the ones in the congee recipe, it can please even the pickiest of palates.