Cook’s notes
I wasn’t always a congee fan. I associated it with illness because that was what I was fed whenever I got sick as a child. A bowl of rice swimming in murky water. Bland. No color. No garnish.
A trip to Hong Kong with three girl friends changed my perspective. A day of shopping followed by Happy Hour left me famished by midnight. I called room service for a bowl of congee. It came with mushrooms, Chinese sausage and century eggs. Delightful. Unforgettable. Looking back, I do believe that it was the first time I truly appreciated congee. I was so smitten with the blend of flavors that I decided to recreate Crowne Plaza Hong Kong’s congee at home.
My congee was made in the slow cooker before I added the rest of the ingredients to make sure that they wouldn’t soften too much and fall apart. I wanted each bit of sausage, mushroom and century egg visually distinct. And I wanted their individual flavors and textures pronounced with every mouthful.
If you prefer to cook your rice on the stovetop, see the complete guide for cooking congee minus the myths.
Crowne Plaza Hong Kong-style congee
Ingredients
- ½ cup medium-grain rice (I used Japanese rice)
- 4 to 5 cups broth (bone broth is best)
- 1 tablespoon sesame seed oil
- 4 shiitake mushrooms (or your preferred mushroom), roughly chopped
- salt
- 2 Chinese sausages roughly chopped
- 2 to 3 century eggs peeled and roughly chopped
- ¼ cup finely sliced scallions
Instructions
- Rinse the rice several times.
- Place the rice in the slow cooker, pour in the broth and stir. If the broth is unseasoned or under-seasoned, add salt and pepper.
- Set the slow cooker to LOW and cook the congee for eight hours. Stir every two hours. Crank up the heat to HIGH and cook for another two hours.
- Heat the sesame seed oil in a frying pan and fry the mushrooms over medium heat with a little salt for about two minutes.
- Add the sausages to the mushrooms and cook for another two minutes.
- Stir the sausage / mushroom mixture, century eggs and scallions into the congee.
- Ladle congee into bowls. Serve hot with soy sauce on the side.
Hainanese chicken congee