Name: Chicken and prawn congee
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 500 g free-range, corn-fed chicken breasts; 250 g short-grain rice; 4 green onions, finely sliced; 2 pieces cassia bark; 2 heads celeriac, peeled and cut into 1 cm cubes; 1 teaspoon minced ginger; 18 green prawn tails, deveined; 2 tablespoons coriander leaves; 75 g bacon, diced; 150 ml pouring (35%) cream; 2 teaspoons sea salt; 1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper; 75 g unsalted butter, diced; 2.5 litres White Chicken Stock; 45 ml strained lemon juice; ½ teaspoon sesame oil

Preparation info

Difficulty
Complex

Appears in

Spice

By Christine Manfield

Published 1999

About

Congee, a savoury rice porridge also known as rice gruel or soft rice, is traditionally eaten by the Chinese for breakfast. It is generally not a highly spiced dish, relying more on subtle flavours and smooth textures for its appeal. The basic rice preparation can be flavoured with any protein — I have made this quite a glamorous and rich version by including chicken and prawns as well as cream and butter. Serve it as a mainstay for lunch or as an entrée for a more elaborate dinner.