← Nouns Cooking · Chinese

Ingredients

• 150 g Jasmine rice
• 1 tsp salt, for the rice
• 1 tsp Vegetable oil
• 2 l Water
• 250 g pork shoulder or loin, cut into thin strips
• 1 tsp salt, for the pork
• 1 tsp Cornflour (cornstarch)
• 3 Century eggs (pidan, preserved duck eggs), peeled and diced
• 4 slices Ginger, cut into fine matchsticks
• ¼ tsp White pepper
• 2 Spring onion, thinly sliced
• 1 handful Coriander (cilantro) (optional)
• 1 tsp Toasted sesame oil

Method

1. Mix the pork with 1 tsp salt and the cornflour and leave for 30 min (or overnight in the fridge). Meanwhile, rinse the rice and toss it with 1 tsp salt and the oil; this helps the grains break down.
2. Bring the water to the boil in a large heavy pot. Add the rice, return to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer with the lid ajar for 1 hour, stirring every 10 minutes so nothing sticks.
3. Add half the century egg and the ginger and simmer for 20 min more, stirring often, until the congee is thick and creamy. Add a splash of boiling water if it gets too thick.
4. Stir in the pork, separating the strips, and simmer for 3–4 min until it is cooked through. Add the rest of the century egg and season with white pepper and more salt if needed.
5. Ladle into bowls and top with spring onion, coriander and a few drops of sesame oil. Serve with youtiao if you have them.

Tips

• Century eggs are preserved duck eggs with a dark jelly-like white and creamy yolk; find them in Chinese grocers.
• Leftover congee thickens in the fridge; loosen it with boiling water as you reheat.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Made With Lau Wok and Kin Omnivore's Cookbook