Congee with Century Egg and Pork (Pidan Shou Rou Zhou)

About This Recipe

Congee, a rice porridge cooked with far more water than usual until the grains completely break down, is one of the most comforting breakfasts across Chinese regional cuisines, prized for its soft, warming simplicity. This Cantonese-style version simmers the rice low and slow, sometimes with a piece of pork bone for extra richness, until it becomes silky and thick enough to coat a spoon, the long cooking time doing all the work. Topped with century egg, whose distinctive dark, gelatinous white and creamy yolk add a savory depth unlike anything else, along with shredded pork and a scatter of scallions and fried shallots, this congee turns simple rice into something deeply savory and satisfying.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 cupjasmine rice(rinsed)
• 10 cupswater or chicken stock
• 200 gpork shoulder or lean pork(thinly sliced)
• 1 tbspsoy sauce(for pork marinade)
• 1 tspcornstarch(for pork marinade)
• 2century eggs(peeled and cut into wedges)
• 1 tspsalt
• 2scallions(chopped, for garnish)
• 2 tbspfried shallots(for garnish)
• 1 tspsesame oil(for garnish)
• 1 tspwhite pepper(for garnish)

Instructions

1. 1

   Marinate the pork

   Toss the sliced pork with soy sauce and cornstarch; set aside.

2. 2

   Simmer the congee

   Combine rinsed rice with water or stock in a large pot, bring to a boil, then reduce to a very low simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, for 50-60 minutes until thick and creamy.

   Stir occasionally throughout the long simmer to prevent the rice from sticking and scorching on the bottom of the pot.

3. 3

   Cook the pork

   In the last 5 minutes of simmering, stir in the marinated pork and cook until just done.

4. 4

   Season

   Stir in salt and adjust the congee's thickness with a splash more water or stock if needed.

5. 5

   Serve

   Ladle into bowls, top with century egg wedges, scallions, fried shallots, a drizzle of sesame oil and a dash of white pepper.

Variations

• •

  A simpler version with just plain congee and a fried egg on top is a common quick breakfast.

• •

  Adding dried scallops or shrimp to the simmering congee gives extra savory depth.

• •

  A version cooked with chicken instead of pork is equally common and slightly lighter.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 3 days in an airtight container; congee thickens considerably as it cools, so add a splash of water when reheating to loosen it back to a smooth consistency.

Frequently Asked Questions