Congee (Chinese Rice Porridge) S E R V E S Serves 4 to 6 INGREDIENTS BEFORE YOU BEGIN ¾ cup * For vegetarian congee, substitute water for long-grain white rice the chicken broth. Jasmine rice can be substituted for conventional long-grain white 1 cup chicken broth rice; do not use basmati. We prefer the ¾ teaspoon table salt distinctive avor of Chinese black vinegar here; look for it in Asian supermarkets. Congee Scallions, sliced thin on provides a subtle savory background for bias avorful toppings. Serve with Microwave-Fried Fresh cilantro leaf Shallots, if desired. Dry-roasted peanuts, INSTRUCTIONS chopped coarse 1 Place rice in ne-mesh strainer and rinse Chili oil under cold running water until water runs clear. Soy sauce Drain well and transfer to Dutch oven. Add broth, salt, and 9 cups water and bring to boil Chinese black vinegar over high heat. Reduce heat to maintain vigorous simmer. Cover pot, tucking wooden spoon horizontally between pot and lid to hold lid ajar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thickened, glossy, and reduced by half, 45 to 50 minutes. 2 Serve congee in bowls, passing scallions, cilantro, peanuts, oil, soy sauce, and vinegar separately. Stir-Fried Ground Pork Topping for Congee S E R V E S Serves 4 to 6 INGREDIENTS BEFORE YOU BEGIN 8 ounces ground pork Serve over Congee with Microwave-Fried S*hallots, if desired. 1 tablespoon water ¼ teaspoon table salt INSTRUCTIONS ⅛ teaspoon baking 1 Toss pork, water, salt, and baking soda in soda bowl until thoroughly combined. Add garlic, ginger, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, cornstarch, 1 garlic clove, minced sugar, and white pepper and toss until 1 teaspoon minced thoroughly combined. fresh ginger 1 teaspoon soy sauce 2 Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add pork 1 teaspoon Shaoxing mixture and cook, breaking meat into ¼-inch wine or dry sherry pieces with wooden spoon, until pork is no 1 teaspoon cornstarch longer pink and just beginning to brown. ½ teaspoon sugar ¼ teaspoon white pepper 1 teaspoon vegetable oil How to Make Perfect Jammy Eggs For a luxuriously spoonable consistency, steam the eggs—and stop cooking at 8 minutes. So-called “jammy” eggs are all the rage. If you’ve missed the buzz, these are eggs with yolks that have a luxuriously spoonable consistency that falls midway between the runniness of a soft-cooked egg and the rmness of a hard-cooked egg. We love them for spreading over toast, topping a bowl of ramen or congee, or just eating out of hand with a sprinkling of coarse sea salt. For consistent results, we steam the eggs rather than boil them. That’s because the small amount of water needed for steaming quickly recovers its heat, regardless of variables such as how many eggs you add to the water (up to six), the heat capacity of dierent burners, or even the heat retention of dierent pans. Here’s the method: Bring ½ inch water to boil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Using tongs, gently place up to 6 eggs in boiling water (eggs will not be submerged). Cover and cook for 8 minutes. Transfer saucepan to sink and run cold water over eggs for 30 seconds to stop cooking. SOFT JAMMY 6 1/2 minutes 8 minutes HARD 13 minutes Microwave-Fried Shallots S E R V E S Serves 4 to 6 INGREDIENTS INSTRUCTIONS 3 shallots, sliced thin 1 Combine shallots and oil in medium bowl. Microwave for 5 minutes. Stir and continue to ½ cup vegetable oil microwave 2 minutes longer. Repeat stirring and microwaving in 2-minute increments until beginning to brown (4 to 6 minutes). Repeat stirring and microwaving in 30-second increments until deep golden brown (30 seconds to 2 minutes). Using slotted spoon, transfer shallots to paper towel–lined plate; season with salt to taste. Let drain and crisp, about 5 minutes..