Century Egg Congee

Method

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1. Rinse the rice until the water runs clear, drain thoroughly, toss with the oil and a pinch of salt, and freeze for at least 2 hours.

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2. Marinate the pork with the soy sauce, cornflour and sesame oil for 20 minutes.

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3. Bring the stock and ginger to the boil in a large heavy pot. Add the frozen rice directly, without thawing.

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4. Return to the boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 45 to 60 minutes, stirring in one direction every 10 minutes and scraping the base.

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5. The congee is ready when the grains have burst and the texture is thick, smooth and pourable. Add hot water if it tightens too far.

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6. Stir in the salt, then slide in the pork slices one by one and simmer 4 minutes until just cooked.

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7. Add half the century egg and stir it through so it dissolves slightly and flavours the whole pot.

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8. Ladle into bowls and top with the remaining century egg, spring onions, fried shallots and a heavy grind of white pepper, with soy and chilli oil at the table.

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Chef’s Tips

• The freezing trick genuinely halves the cooking time and is the single most useful thing about this recipe.
• Stir in one direction only. Changing direction breaks the starch suspension and the congee can turn watery.
• If century eggs are not to your taste, poached chicken, salted fish or plain ginger and spring onion are all traditional.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• Out of spring onions? A small regular onion, finely sliced, or a few chives stirred in at the end both cover the job.
• A pinch of dried chilli flakes works in place of fresh chilli — start with about a third of the quantity the chilli in the list implies, since dried chilli is more concentrated, and add more to taste.
• A quarter-teaspoon of ground ginger per tablespoon of fresh is the standard ratio if you are working from the spice rack rather than a fresh root.

Pairing Suggestions

• Youtiao for dipping
• Pickled mustard greens
• Hot Chinese tea

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerate up to 4 days. It sets solid when cold — reheat with plenty of extra stock or water, whisking to loosen.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.