Ground Chicken and Shiitake Mushroom Congee 香菇雞肉粥

The weather outside might be frightful, since we are about to enter the winter season in the northern hemisphere. But worry not, as long as we got this congee made with chicken stock at home, which will help keeping our body and mind cozy and warm.

Ground chicken and shiitake mushroom congee 香菇雞肉粥 - 

Ingredients (about 4 portions)?

• 6 fresh shiitake mushroom
• 6 dried shiitake mushroom
• 1 cup cold water
• 1 cup short grain white rice
• 8 cups chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon grated young ginger
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 dashes white pepper powder
• Some chopped scallion
• 1 to 2 salted duck eggs (optional)

Chicken marinade:

• 170 grams ground chicken
• 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

How?

Dried shiitake mushroom can add much more flavor to the congee. The texture actually stays plump and juicy once cooked due to all the liquid present in the congee. However, if you can't find it, use more fresh shiitake mushroom instead.

Rinse the dried shiitake mushroom then soak with 1 cup of cold water for at least 30 minutes. After that, take out the mushroom and remove the tougher stems. Slice the caps and put aside for later use. Save the mushroom soaking water.

For the fresh shiitake mushroom, remove the stems and slice the caps. Destem and chop the scallion. Scrape the skin and grate the young ginger.

Mix together 1/2 teaspoon of soy sauce and 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil with ground chicken. Let it marinate for about 10 minutes.

Wash the rice a couple times and change water. Lastly, drain and set aside for later use.

Bring a big pot, add in sliced soaked shiitake mushroom along with its soaking water. Also pour in extra 8 cups of chicken stock. Bring the entire thing to a boil.

Add in the rice and grated ginger. 

Bring to a boil again, which can take some time since we are working with a big pot of liquid here. Once boiling, lower the heat to keep it at a light bubbling. There's no need to cover the pot with a lid, but do remember to stir the grains once a while, which can prevent sticking on the bottom.

After 10 minutes, add in ground chicken, fresh shiitake mushroom, and couple dashes of white pepper powder. Stir while breaking the chicken into smaller chunks. Uneven chunks are fine, I actually like it that way instead of fine bits of ground chicken. Continue to cook for another 10 minutes.

Taste and season with some salt, I used about 1 teaspoon here. 

Scoop the congee to serving bowls and garnish with some chopped scallion. I also peeled an salted duck egg and halved it, served together with my congee. Half the egg per serving should be enough, since the egg can be quite salty itself, like its name implies.

If you're looking for a lighter taste, swap out some chicken stock with plain water. However, the congee can be much more flavorful and heart-warming with chicken stock. Here in Taiwan, we also like to serve this congee to someone who's not feeling well or having a flu, it's that comforting. 

I like to eat it with extra white pepper powder, its gentle heats can actually add more warmth to the congee.

Other congee recipes:

• Savory Taiwanese congee 台式鹹粥
• Sweet potato congee 地瓜粥