Silky rice porridge simmered until creamy, topped with century egg and shredded pork, a comforting Cantonese breakfast classic.
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.
Serves 4
Toss the sliced pork with soy sauce and cornstarch; set aside.
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.
In the last 5 minutes of simmering, stir in the marinated pork and cook until just done.
Stir in salt and adjust the congee's thickness with a splash more water or stock if needed.
Ladle into bowls, top with century egg wedges, scallions, fried shallots, a drizzle of sesame oil and a dash of white pepper.
Stir the congee occasionally throughout its long simmer, since the thickening rice can easily stick and scorch on the bottom of the pot if left unattended.
Use a generous ratio of water to rice — congee should be quite loose and soupy while cooking, since it continues to thicken even after being removed from heat.
Marinate the pork briefly in soy sauce and cornstarch before adding it, a technique that keeps thin slices tender rather than tough.
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.
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.
Congee has been a staple of Chinese cuisine for thousands of years, valued for its gentle, easily digestible qualities, and toppings like century egg and shredded pork reflect specifically Cantonese approaches to enriching this otherwise simple base.
It's a preserved duck, chicken or quail egg cured in a mixture of clay, ash and salt for weeks to months, resulting in a dark, gelatinous white and creamy, savory yolk with a distinctive flavor.
Yes, plain water or chicken stock works fine; a bone simply adds extra richness but isn't essential.
Continue simmering, stirring occasionally — the rice needs time to fully break down, and older or different rice varieties can take longer than expected.
Per serving (400g / 14.1 oz) · 4 servings total
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