---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.02

     Title: CONGEE - RICE GRUEL
Categories: Chinese, Rice
     Yield: 6 servings

     1 c  Long grain rice
     3 qt Stock [I used chicken stock.
          -S.C.]
     2 tb Minced Chinese preserved
          -turnip
     1 sl Ginger root, minced
     1    Piece tangerine peel, soaked
          -to soften and minced
          Salt
          Garnish of:
          Chopped green onion
          Chopped coriander
          Slivered preserved ginger
          Sliced tea melon

 In all my years of eating and cooking Chinese food,
 I'd never tried Congee (rice gruel) before yesterday.
 It just seemed so *bland* that I thought it couldn't
 possibly be all that interesting. I was WRONG! The
 recipe below gives a subtle but hearty "soup" which
 can be garnished in a virtually infinite number of
 ways according to personal taste. I found that I like
 just the basic stuff, unembellished the best. I
 substituted half a cup of long grain rice and half a
 cup of glutinous rice for the long grain rice and it
 worked very well. The preserved turnip seems to be
 used mostly for its salt content. I found it
 unnecessary to add any more salt to the congee. The
 tangerine peel gives a very subtle, nice hint of
 exotic perfume to the dish. The pot I made set up
 almost like a pea soup when it cooled. Good stuff!
 Ridiculously easy too...

 Congee (Jook)

 Combine rice, stock, preserved turnip, ginger and
 tangerine peel in a large soup pot and bring to a
 boil. Lower heat and simmer, uncovered approximately
 1-1 1/2 hours or until the rice is thoroughly broken
 up. Stir occasionally to prevent soup from sticking
 and add boiling water if necessary. When done, soup
 should be thick and creamy. Add salt to taste and
 garnish with any or all of the suggested garnishes.

 Variations: Just before serving, add cooked chicken,
 pork, ham or beef. Or with rice add diced forest
 mushrooms, soaked to soften or dried shrimp.

 From "The Regional Cooking of China" by Margaret Gin
 and Alfred E. Castle, 101 Productions, San Francisco,
 1975.

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