Savoury Mushroom Congee
Involved · 85 min · Serves 4 · Chinese
Dietary: vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free
Jasmine rice simmered low for an hour with dried shiitake, lemongrass, ginger and garlic into a silky vegan jook, topped with sautéed fresh shiitake and scallion.
Ingredients
For 4 servings
Congee
- 15 g dried shiitake mushroom, about 6
- 950 ml water, 4 cups: half boiling, to soak the mushrooms
- 185 g jasmine rice, 1 cup, rinsed once
- 1.2 l vegetable stock, 5 cups
- 2 stalk lemongrass, cut into 8 to 10 cm (3 to 4 inch) lengths; 3 stalks for more
- 20 g ginger, a 5 cm (2 inch) piece, peeled and sliced
- 2 clove garlic, smashed
- 1 tsp salt, kosher, more to taste
To serve
- 150 g shiitake mushroom, fresh, stems removed, caps sliced
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 scallion, finely sliced
- 2 tbsp tamari, or soy sauce, if gluten isn't a concern
- 0.5 tsp white pepper, ground
- 1 tbsp chili oil (optional)
Steps
Congee
- Bring 475 ml (2 cups) of the water to a boil and pour it into a bowl. Give the dried shiitake a quick rinse, drop them into the hot water, and soak for 30 to 45 minutes, until soft. Meanwhile, rinse the rice once and drain it.
- Put the rice, the shiitake and their soaking water in a large pot with the remaining 475 ml (2 cups) of water, the stock, lemongrass, ginger, garlic and salt.
- Cover and bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low (a smaller burner helps) and simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Check now and then that it isn't boiling over.
- Uncover and stir. It will look very watery at this point, and that's fine: turn off the heat, set the lid back on slightly ajar, and let it stand for 15 to 20 minutes, during which it thickens as it cools.
- If it still looks very watery after 20 minutes, simmer it on low for another 15 minutes. Fish out the lemongrass, ginger and garlic. The rehydrated shiitake can stay in, sliced, or come out; they're chewier than fresh.
To serve
- While the congee stands, heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and sauté the fresh shiitake, stirring now and then, for 6 to 8 minutes, until browned at the edges and tender.
- Taste the congee for salt; stock varies, and the tamari at the table adds more. Ladle into bowls and top with the sautéed shiitake and scallion, with the tamari, white pepper and chili oil (if using) to add as you like. Leftovers freeze well; reheat in a saucepan with a splash of water, stirring until smooth.