Lemongrass Scented Congee Recipes

CONGEE WITH CHINESE CRULLERS & SAUTEED GREENS

Steps:

• Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sweat the shallot and ginger, stirring, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the rice and broth. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and cover. Cook until the rice has broken down and the mixture is thick and porridge-like, about 1 hour. Stir with a rubber spatula occasionally so the bottom doesn't stick. Remove the ginger and season to taste.
• Divide the congee into bowls. Top with a pile of Sauteed Greens (recipe follows), a drizzle of toasted sesame oil, a drizzle of sriracha and a couple turns of black pepper. Serve with Crullers (recipe follows) on the side.
• Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl. Add the buttermilk, coconut oil and egg and knead with the dough hook for 7 to 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Wrap with plastic and allow to rest in the refrigerator for 3 hours.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator 1 hour before ready to use and allow to come to room temperature.
• Heat the neutral oil in a heavy bottomed pot to 375 degrees F.
• Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a 20-by-6-inch rectangle that is about 1/4-inch thick. Cut into 12 vertical strips just over an inch wide, then cut each strip in half horizontally. Layer one half on top of the other and using a chopstick, press down in the center to adhere. Cover with plastic while you shape the others.
• When the oil is up to temperature, take one piece of dough and, holding both ends, stretch gently to triple the length (it should stretch very easily). Drop in the oil and fry for 30 seconds to 1 minute per side, or until lightly golden and puffy, gently turning with a spider. Remove to a rack and repeat in batches of 2 or 3, allowing oil to come back to temperature between each batch.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add the dried chili peppers and garlic and toss around, cooking until fragrant and lightly toasty, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the mustard greens, a big pinch of salt and a couple turns of black pepper and cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until wilted, tender, and bright green. Add the sesame oil, rice vinegar and sesame seeds. Toss to combine.

LEMONGRASS-SCENTED CONGEE

Steps:

• Use the dull side of a heavy knife to press down on lemongrass and cerush slightly.
• Combine lemongrass, water, rice, rice wine, ginger, salt and lime leaf in a 4L Dutch oven.
• Place over high heat and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Cover and reduce heat to low; let simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until the consistency of porridge.
• Stir often during last 1/2 hour of cooking to prevent sticking.
• Discard lemongrass pieces and lime leaf. The congee will continue to thicken as it stands, so adjust consistency by adding extra hot water if necessary.
• Tolp with preferred garnishes and serve warm. Reheats well. (add a little hot water as needed to adjust the consistency).
• VARIATIONS: For savoury shrimp congee: stir in 2 cups cooked, diced shrimp and onion and top with sliced green onion and chopped peanuts.
• For a sweet coconut congee: Stir in 1 cup toasted, sweetened shredded coconut, 2 tablespoons honey and top with thinly sliced mangoes.

VIETNAMESE CHICKEN AND LONG-GRAIN RICE CONGEE

Steps:

• Place chicken in a stock pot. Pour in enough water to cover chicken. Add ginger, lemon grass, and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and gently simmer for 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours.
• Strain broth, and return broth to stock pot. Let chicken cool, then remove bones and skin, and tear into bite-size pieces; set aside.
• Stir rice into broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. If necessary, adjust with water or additional salt. The congee is done, but can be left to cook an additional 45 minutes for better consistency.
• Ladle congee into bowls, and top with chicken, cilantro, chives, and pepper. Squeeze lime juice to taste.

LEMONGRASS CONSOMMé

Steps:

• Cut off and discard top of each lemongrass stalk, leaving 6-inch stalk, then smash stalks with side of large heavy knife. Cut each stalk in half crosswise.
• In 8-quart stock pot over moderately high heat, combine all ingredients and 3 quarts cold water. Bring to simmer, skimming froth, then reduce heat to moderately low and gently simmer, uncovered, skimming froth occasionally, 45 minutes.
• Remove chicken, reserving for another use, then strain consommé through fine-mesh sieve into large bowl, discarding solids. If using consommé right away, skim off and discard any fat. If making ahead, cool consommé completely, uncovered, then chill, covered, and discard any solidified fat. (Consommé can be chilled up to 3 days or frozen 1 month.) Rewarm consommé before serving by bringing to gentle simmer in large pot over moderately high heat.)

CONGEE WITH VEGETABLES AND FRESH HERBS

Steps:

• Drain the rice and place it in a large pot with the sweet potato. Cut the lemongrass stalks in half horizontally and add them to the pot. Add the stock and 1 tablespoon salt and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat and simmer, covered, for 35 minutes.
• Remove the lid and increase the heat so the rice is bubbling. Remove the lemongrass and discard. Simmer, stirring frequently to prevent it from sticking, until the rice is tender and has the consistency of a thick porridge, about 15 minutes more. Add the ginger in the last 5 minutes of cooking.
• Heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Add the bok choy and cook until tender and wilted, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and remove from the heat.
• To serve, put the bok choy, scallions, cilantro, and nuts into small bowls. Ladle the porridge into bowls and let diners garnish it with the vegetables, nuts, soy sauce, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes.
• We know that brown rice has more nutrients than white rice, but aside from health concerns, white rice is put through many stages of processing, all requiring fossil fuels and chemicals. First, the germ and bran are removed to extend the length of time the rice can be stored; then synthetic vitamins are added back in; and finally, the rice is polished with water, glucose, or the mineral talc, which is known to cause stomach cancer. The taste of brown rice can take some getting used to, but cooked with fragrant seasonings like the ones in the congee recipe, it can please even the pickiest of palates.