I came down with the flu last Friday and spent the entire day floating in and out of consciousness. I thought the least that I could do was to fix myself something to eat but I was so weak that the mere thought of walking from my bed to the kitchen gave me pause. It was an absolutely unfamiliar, even a bit scary, feeling that I did not have energy to do things I love most. It is true what they say--without a healthy body, little else matters.
Fortunately, I’ve been steadily getting better over the weekend. I’m slowly regaining strength and even had enough energy to nourish myself. When I was young, my Mom used to feed me congee (rice porridge) whenever I was sick. It is easy to digest for weakened stomach and decreased appetite. While chicken noodle soup may be the choice of many, my Cantonese upbringing has me craving congee when I am ill.
Pork bone is a popular choice to give congee that rich taste in the background but proper preparation requires an initial blanching to rid the scum and foam first. That was way too fussy when I could hear my bed calling my name. I went with chicken thighs instead with the added benefit of shredded chicken meat in my congee. Bean curd adds a creamy texture and extra protein.
Congee can be a little bland to healthy palates so an assortment of toppings can spice things up. Crispy pork floss is always a crowd pleaser but other savouries such as scallion, cilantro, toasted sesame seeds, or pickled vegetables are great choices as well. For a typical Cantonese breakfast, you can’t beat a steaming hot bowl of congee served with youtiao (油條). As for me, I’m happy with my plain congee until I’m healthy again.
Chicken Congee
serves 6
Ingredients
- 4 chicken thighs
- 1 cup medium grain rice, rinsed
- 10 cups of water
- 3 sheets of frozen or dried bean curd
- 2-3 teaspoon fine sea salt
- white pepper to taste
Method
- Remove skin and globs of fat from chicken thighs. Place in 5 quart dutch oven or heavy-bottom pot.
- Add rice and water. Bring to boil and turn down the heat to simmer with the lid on for 60 minutes. Keep an eye on it since it may boil over.
- Add bean curd and continue simmering for another 60 minutes until bean curd breaks down into tiny pieces and the rice grains bloom. The porridge ought to have same consistency as yogurt.
- Remove chicken thighs onto a plate and shred to bite-size pieces with two forks. Return meat to porridge and discard bones.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve hot with toppings of your choice.