Chicken & Ginger Congee

📝 Ingredients

• 100 g jasmine rice
• 1 litre water
• 1 chicken stock cube
• 25 g fresh ginger
• 1 chicken breast (200 g)
• 2 eggs
• 2 spring onions
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 pinch white pepper

🍴 Utensils

• Large heavy-based saucepan
• Small saucepan
• Colander
• Slotted spoon
• Wooden spoon
• 2 forks

📖 Steps

1. Peel the ginger by scraping off the skin with a spoon, then cut it into very thin matchsticks. Rinse the jasmine rice in the colander under cold water, stirring it with your hand, until the water runs almost clear.
2. In the large saucepan, bring the litre of water to the boil with the crumbled stock cube and half the ginger. Add the rice, stir, then turn the heat down low: the liquid should just simmer. Cook uncovered for 45 minutes.
3. After 10 minutes of cooking, lower the whole chicken breast into the simmering congee and let it poach for 15 minutes, turning it halfway through. Lift it out with the slotted spoon: it should be white all the way through. Leave it to cool slightly on a plate.
4. Stir the congee every 5 minutes, scraping the bottom well with the wooden spoon so it doesn't stick. If it gets too thick, add a little hot water: it should have the texture of a creamy porridge, with burst grains.
5. Shred the cooled chicken with two forks, along the grain, into thin strands. Finely slice the spring onions, white and green parts, and set aside for garnishing.
6. Cook the soft-boiled eggs: gently lower them into the small saucepan of boiling water and time 6 minutes 30 seconds. Cool them for 2 minutes under cold water, then peel them carefully: the yolk should stay runny.
7. At the end of cooking, return the shredded chicken to the congee for 2 minutes to warm through, then add the soy sauce and white pepper. Taste: the stock and soy sauce add enough salt, so only add a dash more soy if needed.
8. Divide the congee between two bowls, top each with a soft-boiled egg cut in half, sprinkle with spring onion and the rest of the ginger, then finish with a few drops of sesame oil. Enjoy piping hot.