Got old leftover cooked rice sitting in the fridge and don’t know what to do with it? Well, don’t throw it out because this is great for making congee aka rice porridge! Congee is such a great food especially when you’re not feeling well. This warm and comforting dish is so easy to make and this is my version of my favorite congee that you often find in dim sum restaurants.
There are endless variations but this one is by far one of the most popular and contains a very special and unique ingredient: century eggs! For those of you who have never seen this stuff before it may look like something out of a horror movie because of its black appearance. But don’t be alarmed, once cooked it’s the secret to giving the great creamy, umami, eggy flavor that makes this dish so delicious.
Century eggs are essentially duck eggs preserved for several weeks in a mixture of salt, quicklime, ash, clay, and rice hulls coating the exterior. This process makes the egg white turn a beautiful transparent black glassy appearance speckled with white snowflake-like patterns across the surface. Meanwhile, the yolk becomes a dark liquid jelly that’s grayish in color. The odor can have a strong sulfur smell but becomes quite mild once cooked.
You can find century eggs in almost any Asian grocery store nicely packed and individually wrapped. If you’ve been curious about trying this egg delicacy, this congee dish is a great gateway food for the uninitiated! The creamy and savory flavor from the egg contrasts very well with the salty pork strips along with a hint of ginger and fresh green onions to bring all the flavors together. A really balanced and super easy dish to make using leftovers and is a great breakfast item to add to your go to list!
Century Egg and Pork Congee
Prep time: 5 min Cook time: 30 min Total time: 35 min Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked white rice
- 8 cups water
- 1 century egg
- 1/2 cup lean pork sliced into thin strips
- 3 tsp salt
- 1/2 inch ginger thinly sliced
- 1 green onion chopped
Instructions
- Marinade sliced lean pork strips with salt in a bowl and set aside for 5 min.
- In a large pot, place cooked white rice and water and bring to a boil. Break up the rice clumps with a ladle.
- Turn down the heat to a simmer add in ginger slices, one century egg cut in half, and the salted lean pork strips.
- Simmer the congee for 30 min on low uncovered stirring occasionally.
- After cooking break the century eggs into small chunks using a ladle and season with salt to taste.
- Transfer to serving bowls and sprinkle with chopped green onions. Enjoy!
**Note: Important not to place chopped century eggs directly otherwise your congee may turn into a grayish color. If your congee is starting to look too thick during cooking add a little more water until the consistency is similar to oatmeal but a little runnier.
Rice Bucket Recipes 