Oyster Congee
A Pearl of a Recipe
Oyster congee is a specialty of the Chaoshan region of Guangdong. Unlike the congee most people are familiar with, where rice is cooked on a low heat until soft and glutinous, Chaoshan congee is made with rice that has been cooked until it just begins to break down. The resulting grains remain separate from each other, and the result is known as “muê” in the Teochew dialect spoken in Chaoshan.
The people of Chaoshan are particularly fond of eating muê. In the past, they would eat it in two out of three meals a day. In some areas, a pot of muê would be cooked in the morning and finished by the evening. As well as bêh (white) muê which is simply made from rice, there is also hiang (fragrant) muê. Hiang muê is made with all kinds of fish, meat, and vegetables cooked along with the congee, and seasoned to taste. This oyster congee is an authentic Chaoshan hiang muê. The essential ingredients of the congee are fresh oysters and glutinous rice. The smooth, fatty oysters impart a unique mouthfeel and sea-fresh fragrance to the congee, with a refreshing texture and strong aroma.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) rice
- 8 ¾ ounces (250 grams) oysters
- 4 ounces (100 grams) streaky pork
- handful of preserved cabbage
- handful of celery
Seasonings
- 1 teaspoon (5 grams) salt
- 1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) chicken bouillon powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) ground pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoons (8 grams) shredded ginger
Cooking Directions
- Wash the oyster and remove the shell, allowing it to drip dry. Wash the streaky pork and cut into small pieces. Wash and dice the preserved cabbage and celery.
- Wash the rice and soak in fresh water for half an hour. Remove the rice, add groundnut oil, and mix together with a spoon.
- Pour the rice water into a pot and add the appropriate amount of water, then add the rice. After bringing it to the boil, turn down to a medium heat and stir constantly, making sure that it does not stick to the pot.
- Just as the rice begins to break down, add the oyster flesh, streaky pork, preserved cabbage, and shredded ginger to the pot, and cook on a high heat for 5 minutes.
- Add salt and diced celery to taste.
Tip: Rice mixed with oil will be easier to cook without it sticking to the pot.
Tip: Oyster will cook very quickly. After adding the osier to the pot, do not cook it for too long. Otherwise it will lose its wonderful flavor.
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