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Rice Porridge with Chicken and Mushrooms

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. OR Whether its called congee, jook, juk, chok, chao or okayu, rice porridge is homey, soul-soothing comfort food in most parts of Asia.

By Courtney HillDecember 15, 2021

  • Makes
    4 to 6 servings
  • Cook Time
    45 minutes
  • Rating

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.

Tip

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.

Ingredients
  • 1

    cup Japanese-style short-grain white rice or Arborio rice, rinsed and drained

  • 1

    quart low-sodium chicken broth

  • 2

    cups cooked shredded chicken

  • 8

    ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced

  • 2

    inch piece fresh ginger, peeled, sliced into coins and bruised

  • 2

    medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced

  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

  • 2

    tablespoons toasted sesame oil

  • Soy sauce, to taste (optional)

  • Sliced scallions, to serve

  • chili oil, to serve (optional)

Step 1

In a large pot, combine the rice, broth, 1 quart water, the chicken, mushrooms, ginger, garlic and ¼ teaspoon salt.

Bring to a boil over medium-high, stirring once or twice. Reduce to low and gently simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the rice is swollen and the broth is thickened, 30 to 35 minutes.

Step 2

Off heat, stir in the sesame oil and ½ teaspoon pepper. Taste and season with salt or soy sauce (if using). Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with scallions and drizzle with chili oil (if using).

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