Easy congee with chicken & mushroom (香菇鸡肉粥)

Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

• 1 cup short-grain, or jasmine rice (uncooked) (about 210g, see note 1)
• 6 cups boiling water (about 1½ litre)
• 4 dried shiitake mushrooms (rehydrated & thinly sliced )
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 piece chicken breast (cut into narrow strips/thin slices, about 150g/5.3oz)
• 1 tsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp oyster sauce
• ½ tsp Shaoxing rice wine
• ½ tsp cornstarch
• ½ tsp sesame oil
• 1 pinch ground white pepper
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch sugar
• 1 tbsp minced ginger
• 2 stalks scallions (finely chopped)
• 2 boiled eggs (optional)
• 4 tbsp toasted peanuts (crushed, optional, see note 2)

Preparation

1. 1

   Step 1

   Freeze the rice
2. 2

   Step 2

   freeze
3. 3

   Step 3

   The night before you cook the congee, rinse the rice under running water. Drain then put into a container/plastic bag. Freeze overnight.
4. 4

   Step 4

   Soak dried shiitake mushrooms in water overnight.
5. 5

   Step 5

   Cook the rice
6. 6

   Step 6

   Cook
7. 7

   Step 7

   Pour boiling water into a pot. Put in the frozen rice. Add salt, mushroom and the water in which the mushrooms were soaked (it's full of umami flavour).
8. 8

   Step 8

   Low heat
9. 9

   Step 9

   Once it starts to boil again, turn down the heat to the lowest.
10. 10

    Step 10

    Simmer
11. 11

    Step 11

    Cover with a lid and leave to simmer for 10 mins.
12. 12

    Step 12

    Marinate the chicken
13. 13

    Step 13

    Marinate
14. 14

    Step 14

    While waiting for the rice to cook. Marinate the chicken with all the ingredients listed.
15. 15

    Step 15

    Cook the chicken
16. 16

    Step 16

    Add chicken
17. 17

    Step 17

    Stir in the chicken strips and ginger. Cook for 1 min then turn off the heat.
18. 18

    Step 18

    Sit
19. 19

    Step 19

    Leave to sit (covered) for a further 1 min.
20. 20

    Step 20

    Assemble the dish
21. 21

    Step 21

    Assemble
22. 22

    Step 22

    Add the scallions to the congee. Stir well then transfer into the serving bowls.
23. 23

    Step 23

    Garnish
24. 24

    Step 24

    Optional garnish: Top each bowl with half of a hard boiled egg and some toasted peanuts. Serve warm.

25. Bon appetit!