Rice Porridge with Chicken and Mushrooms
Warm up with this intensely flavored congee, a soul-soothing alternative to chicken soup—rice porridge with chicken and mushrooms, a comfort meal from parts of Asia.
- Makes4 to 6 servings
- Cook Time45 minutes
- 4
Whether its called congee, jook, juk, chok, chao or okayu, rice porridge is homey, soul-soothing comfort food in most parts of Asia. It’s also a way to stretch a small amount of rice into a satisfying meal. Eunji Choi of New York City uses the Instant Pot to pressure-cook leftover cooked chicken in water or broth along with rice, aromatics and any number of other ingredients to make a quick and easy porridge. For our stovetop version, we use short-grain rice (Arborio rice works well, too) and a combination of water and chicken broth, plus fresh shiitake mushrooms for their earthy flavor. If you like, top individual bowlfuls with a soft-cooked egg.
Don’t forget to rinse and drain the rice. Rinsing removes excess starch that otherwise would make the porridge too thick and gluey. Also, be sure the porridge doesn’t simmer too vigorously. Lazy bubbles should just break the surface. If the simmer is more energetic than that but the burner is already on low, position the pot so it sits only partially on the burner.
To access this recipe, you need to be a member.
Join Milk Street and get instant access to over 3,500 recipes for just $1.