Basic Porridge

Porridge or congee is a type of rice soup that the Vietnamese call "cháo". This is an Asian comfort food as is chicken soup for the Westerners. Infants are fed the congee made very plain using water and rice. This is called the basic congee. For older adults, congee is a perfect meal to serve. The secret to create a velvety congee is the combination of sweet rice and regular rice. Also, the cooking time is longer with low heat. In olden days, this soup was cooked in an earthen pot – this pot played a vital role in Vietnam and other Asian societies’ daily life. It was used as a rice cooker, frying pan, boiling pot, or whatever a cook can think of. I think this pot produces a unique aromatic fragrance imparted after cooking and also look very decorative at the table. I love earthen pots. I would love to own one, but I have not purchased one due to the fact that I have not seen an earthen pot that I like yet. To flavor porridge, some cooks add ginger, others add the zest of lemon or tangerine. However, these flavors are for individual preferences and taste. Porridge can be served sweet for breakfast by adding beans and honey or with a savory taste by adding chicken, egg, ground meat, or just vegetables, such as daikon, bok choy, mushrooms, etc.…. I think congee is an easy meal to have when feeling lazy or under the weather. The basic porridge can be eaten with dry fish or meat "ruốc cá, ruốc thịt". Another way to cook congee is overnight or all day in a crockpot.

Ingredients:
The basic congee:
1/4 cup short grain rice, such as jasmine
1/4 cup sweet rice
5 cups water
Salt and pepper for a savory taste
Sugar or honey for sweetness.

Directions:
Mix both types of rice together in a bowl and wash a few times until the water is almost clear. Fully soak the rice for 1 hour at room temperature (this soaking method will cut the cooking time, but it is not necessary). Drain rice before cooking.
Combine water and soaked rice in the pot and bring to boil. Skim off some foam rising to the surface, cover with lid, and turn the heat off. Let rice cook in the hot water for an hour. After an hour, check back and season with salt or sugar. The congee can be cooked another 30 minutes if you feel that the rice needs to cook more.
For easy chicken congee:
Basic congee ingredients, except the water
5 cups chicken broth
2 cups roasted chicken from Costco
2 tbs julienned fresh ginger
Zest of one lemon
Two kaffir lime leaves, shredded
2 hard-boiled eggs
2 tbs shallot oil*

Garnish with green onions, cilantro, and crispy shallots

In a pot, add shallot oil. Panfry the soaked rice until the rice looks opaque.

Add broth, lemon zest, ginger, and kaffir lime leaves. Bring to boil.

 Skim off any residue that rises to the top. Turn the heat off, cover with lid and let rice cook in hot broth for an hour or more (plan to perform other activities while waiting). After this time, the basic porridge is done cooking.

Shred the chicken and remove the shell from the hard-boiled egg. Cut eggs into half. Add egg and chicken into the porridge.

 Turn the heat on and bring back to boil. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for another 20 minutes. Ladle soup in a tureen or serving bowl; Sprinkle with green onions, cilantro, and crispy shallots and then serve.

To make shallot oil:
1/2 cup peanut oil
1/4 cup sliced shallots

In small sauté pan, cook oil and shallots on low heat until crispy.

Drain oil and pour into a glass jar with lid. The crispy shallots and oil can be stored in the refrigerator for weeks.