Rice Porridge
Savory porridge made with the leftovers from any roast bird. Minimal waste for maximum flavor. Great for a crowd.
Topped with a poached egg and scallions. This porridge had tiny shreds of chicken in it. Delicious!
Dang. How am I supposed to talk about the cultural implications of what to call this dish? I’ve always known it as jook, and more recently as congee. But after a bit of research and out of respect for this being a dish outside of my culture, I’m going to call it rice porridge and give major credit to where credit is due. Is this right? I hope so! If not, I welcome any feedback.
I first tasted jook at dim sum with my now-husband and his mom. I’m sad to say it took me years to make it myself. It’s so delicious and warming! In adulthood, I have shifted away from sweet breakfasts and once “invented” a savory oatmeal. I sure tried. And let me tell you, mac and cheese powder in oats is not good. I felt like a dummy when I realized that there are already so many good savory porridges of the world that I didn’t have to invent one.
This is just about the easiest thing you can make to serve a crowd for breakfast. The catch is, it takes a bit of time, so make sure it’s the first thing you start. Well, maybe right after starting coffee. It’s also easy to make ahead and reheat the morning-of. This is my favorite post-Thanksgiving breakfast.
Rice Porridge
Serves 2-3
1 cup rice; any type, I use brown because that’s what I keep in the pantry. You can even use leftover cooked rice.
2 cups stock* see note below
12 cups water
Salt to taste; only add after the porridge is done cooking
Toppings of your choice; you can use sesame oil, soy sauce, green onion, cilantro, chopped peanuts, egg, meat, fried garlic/onions/shallots, pickley things, ginger scallion sauce, sautéed greens, chili oil, or just about anything you feel like eating.
Dutch oven or large pot
Stirring spoon
The preparation is very simple so I’m not going to include steps, just things to look out for.
Add everything to a dutch oven. Bring to a boil and boil aggressively, stirring occasionally, until the rice breaks down and the porridge is thickened, about 90 minutes to 2 hours, stirring more frequently in the last 30ish minutes. Reduce the heat to a simmer toward the end of the cooking so it doesn’t burn and stick in the pot. Taste and add salt, if necessary. That’s it! Serve in bowls with toppings.
This recipe calls for so much water because it is necessary. Keeping the pot at a boil causes agitation that breaks the rice down. This will also evaporate a lot of liquid. If the porridge is getting thick and the grains are still very much intact, you can add more water and keep boiling or smash the grains with the back of a spoon.
*I love making this the morning after roasting a chicken. Or a turkey. Or a duck. Or anything else that can make a good stock. Briefly, these are my steps: Roast chicken in a dutch oven. Remove all meat from bones, set aside. Add bones, and maybe some skin, back to dutch oven, leaving in all the drippings. Add water to cover by a couple inches. Add a little salt, depending on how much salt was on the bird. Bring to a boil and reduce to a low simmer with the lid on. Simmer at least a few hours, longer is better. (I usually do this on the very very lowest setting overnight, but I don’t recommend that. You can easily boil your pot dry and ruin it. I have. Just want to give you the honest how-I-do-it version. Only attempt this is you are certain you won’t boil your pot dry). Strain stock. Discard solids. Use stock in porridge. Save the rest for something else. Don’t even bother washing the dutch oven because you can use that to cook the porridge. Win-win!
If you’ve made your own stock, save yourself a step and don’t even bother washing out the pot.
Add all of the stock and water.
This rice is almost done. At this point I would start mashing it with the spoon to break it up a bit more. Or add more water and boil it until it’s mush. Either way works!
Topped with poached eggs, ginger scallion sauce and sesame oil.
