Jade: Bitemycongee#3

I have come to really appreciate the beauty of smooth, velvety congee......the contrast of creamy grains and crunchy yao char kuai, the robust flavour of good quality stock lifted by the subtle fragrance of jasmine rice...and with winter just around the corner, I forsee many many pots of congee bubbling merrily away on my stove. The secret to thick, lush congee that all but glides down the throat, I think, lies in the choice of rice. I've experimented with quite a few being the anal retentive person that I am..and for me, a mixture of sushi rice and glutinous rice with a ratio of 1:1 is perfect. Add a spoonful of shallot oil to marinade the rice with overnight and you're on your way to congee heaven.

Sweetcorn congee~ my new favourite thing to eat. If you love congee, you must try this....the perfect combination of savoury and that lovely golden sweetness you can only get from corn.

50g sushi rice

50g glutinous rice

1 tbsp shallot oil

2 pork ribs

1 small can sweetcorn

small handful goji berries

few dried scallops~mine are baby scallops so i used about 6 or 7

salt to taste

1. Wash rice grains until water turns clear and drain

2. Marinate with shallot oil and leave overnight

3. Blanche the ribs in boiling water, and drain

4. Put the ribs back in the now empty pot, add cold water and your can of corn. [ I don't actually measure out the water, I just generally fill it to about the level of the handle if that makes sense]

5. Add goji berries and scallops and bring to a gentle boil. I used a double boiler which is an absolute godsend when it comes to soups and congees. If you don't have one, keep an eye on the heat, and use a heat diffuser.

6. Now chuck in the rice and give it a good stir. If you're using a normal pot over direct heat, stick around and give it constant stirs to break up the grains and make sure nothing sticks to the bottom.

7. I left mine to simmer gently for 2-3 hours only because I had a certain consistency in mind

8. Season to taste, garnish with fried shallots and tuck into a hot little bowl of bliss. Trust me when I say you don't need any other accompaniments... :)