Perhaps it is trivial enough to make at home (and I have), but I saw a couple of “jook joints” around San Francisco. Also places offering ramen, pho, dim sum, etc. I think sometimes people just do not want to cook at home.
Growing up I was only ever served congee (“jook” in Cantonese) when I was sick, and that’s what I still associate it with.
It’s a good way to use up leftovers. I have an uncle who’s notorious for putting the jook on the stove and then just going through the refrigerator, tossing in whatever he finds. I found half a tuna sandwich in there once.
I’ve had congee in Asian and Europen hotels frequented by Asians, on cruise shops, on Asian airlines, at Asian airports, and at some Asian restaurants that serve a breakfast menu. Best ever was before Security in the Bangkok airport.
When I was growing up my friends all called it jook. One of them made hers with Chinese sausage which I loved.
My wife is Thai and she just calls it “smooshy rice”, presumably an Americanism. I usually start it for her using leftover rice from last night. It is not very critical as to the water/rice ratio, just use a lot of water. For precooked rice about 3 or 4 times the amount in water. Simmer for 15 minutes and let rest. If she wants it smoother she will cook it a bit more. Her usual topping is a small can of pickled Thai cabbage. Dried smoked fish if she has some.
otak otak?
Oh, I love otak-otak, and it is DEFINITELY not that. (I’m starting to wonder if the mystery ingredient actually is pickled radishes - I think not, as those are Chinese, not Indonesian, but they sure look the part.)
Congee is available in restaurants in both Manhattan and Brooklyn’s Chinatowns. Some places specialize in it.
I am particularly fond of what Little Pianola (now 31 years old) calls “goopy rice.” I make congee at home with dried bonito flakes and hard boiled eggs. I also enjoy “goopy” Cajun dirty
rice and Central European “goopy” saffron rice with gizzards and livers.
I don’t know how to make it, but I know how to eat it. My step mother was Chinese (she emigrated from Hong Kong a few years before marrying my dad, at age 30), and her sister who moved over a few years later ate it regularly. With the right additional ingredients, it’s an excellent savory dish, especially on a cold day! (My stepmom’s sister ate it with black (e.g. thousand year old) eggs ::shudder::. Seafood congee is so much better).
ETA: if you like spice, season with white pepper. But be careful; it’s stronger than the black pepper!
Do you leave the bonito flakes in the congee? It’s my understanding that when you use the flakes to make dashi, you strain them out. I could be wrong about that. I actually have a bag of bonito flakes on hand.
I don’t think I’ve had congee with bonito flakes before. But the way I’d use them is to sprinkle them on top of a bowl of already-cooked congee, just before eating. You’ll also get to watch an interesting reaction in the flakes as they are re-hydrated.
It is somewhat of a family comfort food, my grandmother was roomies with a couple of Chinese girls back in the day and one taught her to make it - and ended up being a somewhat noted chef in her own right.
The way I make it, and I was taught by my grandmother to make it:
Take your 1 gallon pot [I use a pasta penta with a deep and a shallow insert, and use the deep insert and put the solids in the insert to be able to pull them out easily]
1 black chicken cut into quarters
1 large onion, stick 4 or 6 cloves into it
1 whole bulb garlic peeled cloves left whole
1 piece ginger the size of 2 golf balls, roughly sliced
4 ribs celery, roughly cut into pieces
4 carrots, peeled and roughly cut into pieces
1 star anise ‘star’
1 inch of cinnamon stick
water to cover
turn on, bring to a boil, turn off and let sit 1 hour to 1.5 hour. Pull out insert and let drain. Set aside. When chicken is cool pull off the bones and chop. Discard old vegetables, spices and chicken bones.
Wash 1 cup of rice thoroughly. Chop 1 small onion, mince 2 tbsp each garlic and ginger. Put the washed rice, chicken, onion, ginger and garlic in the pot with 7 cups of chicken broth and set to simmer covered for 3 to 4 hours - check along the way and stir, adding broth if needed. I like greens, so will toss in baby bok choy, a traditional ingredient are these dried mushrooms [I am allergic so I don’t] dried shrimp, dried squid, dried scallops and dried tiny fish that look like minnows? I don’t do the nasty fishes, but people do like them and add them =)
Juuk/congee is homemade ‘cream of rice’ oriental style - baby food, invalid food, breakfast food … it is a good way to make a handful of ingredients go much further =)
I made some arroz caldo last night, and it turned out really good! It was a hit with Mrs. solost too. I decided to go with turmeric instead of saffron, because though I like the flavor of saffron it didn’t seem right for the flavor profile of this. Arroz pollo recipes I checked out online said to use turmeric or safflower, which gives a yellow color similar to saffron but has little or no flavor of its own.
I’m impressed! One question: what’s “black chicken”?
Yeah, I neglected to suggest turmeric. Glad you discovered this on your own. Even without the spice, you’ll discover that the chicken fat combined with ginger will impart a yellowish color on its own. But the bright yellow of turmeric, saffron or safflower is especially striking.
It’s an Asian chicken called a “Silkie” though there are several different varieties, that has black skin and flesh, and even the bones are black. Oddly, they have soft white feathers so you never see actually the black until you slaughter it (there’s a different breed in Indonesia that is entirely black from beak to toes). Essentially, it’s just an otherwise completely “normal” chicken, however since they are not factory-farmed they are more “chicken-y” than what we buy at the supermarket.
I also like the subtle flavor the turmeric adds to it.
Mmm…having some for lunch now-- it reheats well. Like gumbo, the flavors have had a chance to merge better.
It’s okayu / okai in Japanese and is usually eaten when you’re not feeling well or not appetite. Especially if you’re not feeling well, the thing to eat with it is ume, sour pickled plum or tsukemono, pickled vegetables.
I never anything when cooking. Maybe a little salt mixed in when ready to eat. Despite what some day, I find it flavorful on it’s on. Good quality rice has a bit of sweetness, that comes out especially with long cooking.
For a quick alternative, there’s chazuke/ochazuke, tea and rice. Green tea is recommended, but I find it too bitter. I use genmaicha because it’s more mild and sweeter. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genmaicha
We called it umeboshi. Isn’t ume just plum?
Yes, you’re correct. I’m third generation in Hawaii, so we use a lot of pidgin Japanese. ;-p
When someone says umeboshi, I think of the larger softer ume, rather than the small harder one.
Edit: And pidgin Chinese, Portuguese, Korean, Tagalog and every pidgin every other language in our mixed plate Hawaii.