A 3-Step Healthy Chicken and Ginger Congee
(Photo: Kimberly Wang)
Congee is one of those comfort foods that is easy to make and easy to digest, so growing up, it was something my mom made whenever someone in the family was under the weather. There are hundreds of congee recipes out there, but many include ingredients that aren’t easy to find at an American grocery store. This Chicken and Ginger Congee isn’t just delicious, it’s also made with ingredients you can find anywhere, which is great in quarantine when a lot of ingredients are hard to find.
This recipe makes an ample amount, so you can cook this up, store and eat it for days. It freezes well too.
(Photo: Kimberly Wang)
Ingredients
Makes 8 servings
2 lbs bone-in chicken legs or thighs (I used a combination of thigh and wing, since it was what I could get)
1 1/2 cups of long-grain white rice
8 cups of water
6 cups of low-sodium chicken broth
6 half-inch slices of ginger
3 teaspoons of salt
A pinch of white pepper to taste
3 stalks of scallions, trimmed and sliced for garnish
1 tablespoon of cilantro, chopped for garnish (optional)
Directions
1. Place all ingredients into a large, heavy-bottom pot or Dutch oven except for the scallions and the optional cilantro and bring to a boil at medium-high heat. Be sure to give the combination a stir to keep it from sticking to the bottom before it boils. Then, reduce heat to a simmer for an hour, mixing intermittently until the rice breaks down and the congee becomes slurry and creamy. Turn off the heat.
(Photo: Kimberly Wang)
2. Remove the chicken from the pot and place on a cutting board. Shred the meat from the bones and set aside. I recommend using a pair of tongs and a fork. The meat should slide easily off the bones. Add the chicken back into the pot and mix till well-integrated. Discard the bones.
3. Mix in scallions and taste. Adjust amount of salt and white pepper as needed, top with optional cilantro, and serve while hot.
(Photo: Kimberly Wang)