Congee With Dried Scallops
Congee with dried scallops looks deceptively plain, but once you tried it you will know why it is one of the most popular staples in Hong Kong for breakfast and lunch.
Ingredients
- 1 Cup White Long Grain Rice
- 1/3 Cup Softened Dried Scallops
- 3.5 Liters Water
- 3 Cups Unsweetened Soy Beverage
- 1 1/2 Tsp Salt
Instructions
- Put water into a large pot and bring to boil.
- Rinse and drain the rice.
- Put rice and dried scallops into the pot when water is boiled.
- Leave boiling on high heat uncovered for 10 minutes.
- Reduce to medium-high for 20 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom.
- Reduce to medium heat for 10 minutes, continue stirring as the congee has thickened and reduced.
- Turn off heat, cover, and let congee stand for 15 minutes.
- Add soy beverage, mix well, and add salt.
Notes
1. A deep pot is recommended for making congee to avoid splashes from the hot liquid. Good tasting congee needs to be cooked on high heat, it becomes very bubbly and thick towards the end. Frequent stirring is necessary to prevent the congee from sticking to the pot. It's a good idea to wear oven mitts and use a long wooden spoon.
2. There is a huge variety of dishes to serve with this congee. Simple ones like chopped green onions, roasted peanuts, cooked salted eggs, dried pork floss, fried Chinese dough, and steamed plain or filled rice rolls. Other favorites include fried noodles with pork, fried rice sticks with beef, or vegetarian fried vermicelli.
3. Allowing the congee to stand covered for 15 minutes breaks down the rice to a pudding-like consistency. It looks very thick, but adding the soy beverage will make it more liquid.