Chicken Congee / Rice Porridge (Chao Ga)

Nothing is more soothing than a piping, hot bowl of Chicken Congee / Rice Porridge. Whether it’s a comforting soup to chase away a cold or a hot meal to warm your belly, this is simply the most satisfying dish. Made with basic ingredients in a straightforward recipe, this scrumptious rice soup should be included in every home cook’s go-to menu. Enjoy!

Notes on the Recipe, Tips and Tricks

The typical water to rice ratio for congee is 1:8. Feel feel to adjust the thickness of your congee with more or less water per your taste.

Need this comforting dish made fast? Use a canned chicken broth, a deli chicken and leftover rice. (Use 1 part cooked rice to 2 parts broth.) It’s not made-from-scratch but in a pinch (like when you’re sick), it’s still pretty darn good!

Want to use your Instant Pot? It does a great job with this dish. Add the roasted rice and chicken broth to the pot. Use the “Porridge” setting. It takes about 20 minutes and once it’s done, you can season with fish sauce and add the shredded chicken. Super easy!

Enjoy the congee right away. If left sitting for too long, the rice absorbs the liquid and becomes very thick. If this happens, simply add more hot water to dilute the soup.

Ingredients

1/2 small onion, peeled
1/2-inch knub fresh ginger
3 tsp salt
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
8 cups spring water
1 cup jasmine rice
1 tsp olive oil
2 tsp fish sauce
1/4 tsp finely ground black pepper
2 green onions
6 sprigs cilantro, trimmed and washed
2 tsp fried onions

Directions

Take the onion half and cut off of two thin slices so there are a few slivers of onion. Leave the remainder of the onion uncut. Peel the skin from the ginger and discard. Smash slightly with a pestle.

Rub 2 tsp salt onto the chicken thighs and then rinse well with cold water.

Add the water into a large pot along with 1 tsp salt, the onion half (not the onion slivers), and smashed ginger. Bring to a boil over High heat and then add the chicken thighs. Gently stir. When the water starts to a boil, reduce the heat to Low. Skim off the foam and discard. Cover the pot and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked. Transfer the chicken to a clean bowl and allow to cool. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, cut or shred into thin strips. Remove the onion and ginger from the stock and discard.

Wash the rice by swirling in cold water for 30 seconds and pouring out the rinse water. Repeat these steps until the water is clear. Drain well. In a medium skillet over Medium Low heat, add the vegetable oil, onion slivers and washed rice. Cook for 7-8 minutes stirring frequently until the rice is lightly roasted. Remove from the heat. Remove the onions and discard.

Add the roasted rice into the pot of chicken stock and stir to combine. Bring to a boil over High heat and skim off any foam. Reduce the heat to Low, cover and cook for 20 minutes or until the rice has expanded fully. Stir occasionally to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Turn off the heat and add the fish sauce and ground black pepper. Add the shredded chicken and reserve a few larger pieces to garnish the soup. Mix everything together.

Chop the green onions and cilantro and combine in a small bowl.

Ladle the Chicken Congee / Rice Porridge into a soup bowl. Top with the remaining shredded chicken, chopped onion/cilantro mix and fried onions.

For a simple meal, serve with bean sprouts, fresh mint and red chilies.

Yields: 4 servings