Breakfast / Brunch
Pork & Shiitake Mushroom Congee
A staple for breakfast and lunch in many Asian countries, congee [KAHN-jee], also called jook, is a simple dish of rice cooked down to a thick porridge. At once savory, creamy, silky, and hearty, congee serves as the backdrop for a host of tasty ingredients. Any type of rice will do when making congee, but either jasmine or basmati were the favorites in the Test Kitchen. Both of these aromatic rices are imported. Prized for its aroma, basmati means “queen of fragrance” and comes from India and Pakistan, while most jasmine rice is grown in Thailand. These styles of rice can be five times as long as they are wide. While it’s not advised to stir the rice when making paella, the opposite is the case when preparing congee. In fact, the consistency of the dish will be creamier the more you stir it.
Ingredients
HEAT:
MEANWHILE, COOK:
TOP:
Test Kitchen Tip
Leftover congee can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Warm on the stovetop or in the microwave, and stir in a little extra liquid to loosen it up, if needed.
Instructions
Heat broth, rice, and salt in a saucepan over medium-high to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until rice is thick and creamy, about 1 hour. Stir ½ cup rice into beaten egg in a bowl, then stir back into pan.
Meanwhile, cook mushrooms, ginger, and garlic in olive oil in a skillet over medium heat (once rice has cooked 45 minutes) until fragrant, 1–2 minutes. Add pork and cook until browned, 10 minutes, crushing with a potato masher until fine. Deglaze skillet with soy sauce, scraping up any brown bits, then cook pork until crispy, 5 minutes more.
Top rice with pork mixture, red onion, and cilantro, then drizzle with chili oil.
Nutritional Facts
Nutritional Facts
Per serving
Calories: 642
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 34g 52%
Saturated Fat 11g 55%
Cholesterol 175mg 58%
Sodium 1064mg 44%
Carbs 49g 16%
Protein 32g
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.