Pork Congee
| Serves | 12 |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | Grains, Pork, Vegetables |
| Menu Part | Entree |
| Cuisine Type | Asian |
Source: Chef Bill Briwa, The Culinary Institute of America, St. Helena, Calif.
Congee bars are popping up in college dining halls and Asian concepts as another way to execute a build-your-own breakfast bowl. The foundation is savory rice porridge, cooked here in pork stock, and the toppings including crispy shallots and garlic, soft-cooked eggs and scallions.
Ingredients
Porridge
1 lb. jasmine rice
1 gal. pork stock
Salt and pepper, to taste
Bacon XO sauce
1 lb. garlic
1 lb. shallots
6 oz. minced fresh ginger
3/4 lb. Thai chilies
1/4 lb. Korean dried chilies
2 1/5 lbs. dried shrimp, rehydrated overnight and drained
1 lb. dried scallops, rehydrated overnight and drained
1 1/2 lb. bacon, cooked (reserve cooking fat)
3 oz. black sesame oil
Garnishes
Soft-cooked eggs
1 cup sliced scallions
1 cup crispy sliced garlic
1 cup crispy sliced shallots
Steps
- For congee: Cover rice in several inches of cold water and allow to soak overnight. Drain rice; cover by 2 inches with pork stock (more may be added throughout cooking process). Cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour until rice kernels have completely broken apart and congee is tender and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- For XO sauce: In food processor fitted with metal blade, mince garlic, shallots, ginger and chilies until finely chopped. Reserve these aromatics together and continue by processing rehydrated shrimp and scallops. Reserve minced shrimp and scallop mixture separately. Finely julienne cooked bacon by hand.
- Heat a generous amount of reserved bacon fat in wide saute pan over medium heat. Fry shrimp and scallop mixture until evenly golden and crispy. Remove from pan; reserved fat.
- In hot fat, fry aromatics in same pan until toasted and golden brown. Mix in cooked julienned bacon and reserved shrimp and scallop mixture.
- Cook sauce over medium heat, tossing regularly until flavors come together. Remove from heat; cool. Transfer to a container with airtight lid. Allow to stand at room temperature for at least 1 day before refrigerating.
- Keep congee warm for service. Accompany with bacon XO sauce and garnishes.