Description
This is comfort food by so many measures. The soothing texture of the chicken and porridge; the chicken-soup-for-the-soul; bowl food eaten with a spoon or chopsticks. It’s the sort of food we eat when we are in need of something soothing and convivial, and is a dish that takes Helen straight back home. Kids love it too-you might just hold back on the sprinkle of peppercorns and chile at the end.
Ingredients
- 1 small chicken (about 2 lb 7 oz/1.1kg)
- 1% oz/50g ginger, unpeeled and lightly bashed
- 15 whole black peppercorns
- 3 shallots, peeled and halved lengthwise (1¼ cups/170g)
- 5 garlic cloves, unpeeled and lightly bashed
- 1 cup/20g cilantro stems (reserve the leaves for the topping)
- salt
- 1 cup/200g jasmine rice
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 shallots, finely chopped (1 cup/155g)
- ¾ oz/25g ginger, peeled and finely grated to get 1 tbsp
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed to a paste
- 7% cups/1.75 liters chicken stock (see above)
- 2 top fish sauce
- 4 green onions, finely sliced (/2 cup/40g)
- ½ cup/40g store-bought crispy
- 3 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- ¾ oz/20g cilantro leaves (from the stems used above)
- 1 cup/100g bean sprouts
- 1 tsp crushed white peppercorns (don’t substitute ground white
- 1-2 small, hot red chiles, thinly sliced
- crispy chili oil (either store-bought, or see page 136 for the recipe for peanut rayu)
- 1 lime, cut into wedges, to serve
Method
- Place the chicken in a medium stockpot or deep Dutch oven, breast side up. Add 3-3½ quarts/liters of water-you want the chicken to be just covered. Add all the other poaching ingredients, along with 1 teaspoon of salt, and bring to a simmer on medium-high heat. Once simmering, decrease the heat to low and cook gently for 1½ hours.
- Skim a few times, and don’t allow the stock to come to a boil at any point. To check when the chicken is done, tug gently at one of the drumsticks: it should start to detach. Turn off the heat, then, using a large slotted spoon, lift the chicken out of the stock, and transfer it to a large rimmed plate. Set aside to cool.
- Place the rice in a sieve and rinse really well until the water runs clear. Set aside to drain. Put the sesame oil into a large saucepan and place on medium heat. Add the shallots and ginger and cook for 5 minutes, stirring a few times, until softened. Add the garlic and ¼ teaspoon of salt, cook for another 2 minutes, then add the rice. Stir and then strain 7¼ cups/1.75 liters of the chicken stock over the rice (the vegetables can be discarded and the remaining stock can be used in other dishes or frozen). Cook on medium heat for 30 minutes, uncovered and stirring regularly, until the rice is soft and starting to break down-it should have the consistency of oatmeal. Add the fish sauce.
- While the congee is cooking, tear the chicken off the bones into shreds.