Cooking Challenge Week 10 - Literature/Media - Congee

From the movie Blood Brothers.  We rented it a few years ago, and one of the only things I remember about it was that whenever the gang is sitting down to eat, Daniel Wu's character wants/asks for congee, and the others make fun of him for not being more sophisticated.

I was going to get all fancy and do multiple garnishes, but then (as Jon Stewart would say) I got the bubons.  Three days of fever, chills, deep hacking cough, sinus headache, the works.  Fortunately for me, congee is basically the Chinese version of chicken noodle soup--comfort food and medicine all at once.  I'm still pretty wretched today, but I at least have the energy to type this up before I go back to sleep.

Congee

• 1 cup rice
• 8 cups chicken stock (or water, or a combination)
• 1/4 cup soy sauce (more to taste if desired)

Potential garnishes

• green onion
• chopped preserved turnip
• thousand-year-old eggs
• cilantro leaves
• fried dough sticks
• toasted sesame oil
• sesame seeds
• chopped roasted peanuts

 Combine the rice and chicken stock in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer very gently for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the rice is breaking down and the mixture is very thick.  Add the soy sauce and serve with your choice of garnishes.