[30 Day Challenge] Something Chinese Comfort Foody

Random Observation/Comment #371: I remember the first time I made congee in college – I fed my entire dorm room and then I was too lazy to do the dishes, so we didn’t have congee again until 2 months later.

Recipe: Something Chinese comfort foody – jook/congee

I didn’t follow the recipe at all on this one, but instead did my Mom’s version of congee with smoked turkey. First, I washed the rice and smoked turkey bits. Next, salt the rice and fill 8 cups of water for every 1 cup of rice.  Once at a boil, transfer to a slow cooker and leave it on low for 4 hours or overnight. In the morning, you can just stir and serve with shredded lettuce. The turkey should be falling off the bone and the congee should be very thick and yummy.

Lessons Learned:

• It’s been a long time since I’ve cooked congee in a slow cooker, but it always turns out amazing and very thick/creamy
• Always add the lettuce because it adds a fresh crunch to the overall soupy texture and will make the whole thing less thick if you added too much rice
• Salt lightly since the smoked turkey will already be salty
• Add peanuts or anything you can think of crunchy to the soup to add additional texture and flavor
• Share with your friends and family! It’s a hearty breakfast.

Final Thoughts:

My goo-mah makes the best congee I’ve ever had in my life. Every time I visit, it gets better and better. The one I made is no where near as good, but I think it passes as a very filling breakfast on the go. Next time, I need to bring a bit of mine to Pennsylvania so we can do a side-by-side taste test.

For those who have never tried making congee, it’s easy and doesn’t require that much preparation if you do it overnight.

~See Lemons Eat Congee