CONGEE IS NOT SUGGESTIVE

A few years ago I wrote a short account of eating congee (粥 'juk') at a place where a sullen girl worked, suggesting that if she had some excitement in her life she would look happier. And I haven't eaten there since. I realize now that perhaps it was her sullenness.
There are more cheery places.
For a bowl of jook.

Congee can be comforting.

The elderly crowd that flock to one of my favourite cheap C'town eateries sometimes clears them out of congee before I get there -- a man does not want to battle through a dense flock of senior citizens for a warm bowl, so he might get up late, on his days off -- and I'm not really peckish before I've had my coffee, read the news, and smoked the first pipe of the day.


Congee is warm white sludge. To the teenage mind it may look obscene, but we think the same about you, sonny, and we're cleaner thinking people. So we know it's good. Rice simmered to the break apart and cloudy stage in six to ten times its volume of water, with some thousand year egg or dried fish added. Maybe peanuts. Scallion. Chives. Or a fried dough stick.


The presence of a sullen female is NOT required.


Even Chowhound and Martha Stewart have discovered it, so I'm no longer ahead of the curve. And I shan't mention the places I go to, because I don't want the foodies or tourists to discover them and spoil it for me.

But it's easy to make, you can do it at home. Supply your own sullen person, of whichever gender you like. Just use a heat protector to keep it from scorching, stir it often, and if you're lazy employ the osterizer or blender as a shortcut. Two TBS of white rice to one cup of liquid.
Or more. Or less.

Add savoury things in the last minutes of cooking, and garnishes.


A SHORT LIST OF CONGEES

鮑魚粥 ('baau yü juk'): abalone rice porridge.
鮑魚滑雞粥 ('baau yü kwat kai juk'): abalone and chicken rice porridge.
柴魚花生粥 ('chai-yü faa-sang juk'): dried fish and fried peanuts porridge.
猪肝粥 ('chyu gon juk'): pork liver slices rice porridge.
豬潤粥 ('chyu yeun juk'): pig "gloss" jook; rice porridge with pork liver.
火鴨粥 ('fo ngaap juk'): rice porridge with roast duck.
滑雞粥 ( 'gwat kai juk'): chicken chunks (often bone-in) rice porridge.
虾粥 ('haa juk'): fresh shrimp and cilantro rice porridge.
香菇肉鬆粥 ('heung gu ngau song juk'): mushroom and meat threads porridge.
蠔豉瘦肉粥 ('ho si sau yiuk juk'): dried oysters and lean pork porridge.
海鮮粥 ('hoi sin juk'): mixed fresh seafood porridge.
雞球粥 ('kai kau juk'): chicken rice porridge.
北菇雞球粥 ('pak gu kai kau juk'): black mushroom and chicken porridge.
皮蛋瘦肉粥 ('pei dan sau yiuk juk'): preserved egg and lean pork porridge.
生滾蝦球粥 ('sang gwan ha kau juk'): jook with fresh shrimp.
生滾牛肉粥 ('sang gwan ngau yiuk juk'): rice porridge with sliced beef.
生滾肉片粥 ('sang gwan yiuk pin juk'): jook with sliced pork.
蝦球帶子粥 ('sin haa daai-ji juk'): shrimp and scallop porridge.
爽滑肉丸粥 ('song gwat yiuk yuen juk'): pork meat ball porridge.
碎牛粥 ('sui ngau juk'): rice porridge with minced beef.
魚片粥 ('yü pin juk'): fish curls rice porridge.


Again, sullen people or dirty-minded teenagers are absolutely not necessary, and they don't add anything worthwhile. But it's up to you.





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