Shrimp Congee (Chinese Porridge)

Being sick sucks. It's even worse when it is days away from Christmas. We have been on a steady diet of Chicken Noodle Soup, Chicken Rice Soup, and Chicken Congee for the last week and a half. We I desperately needed a break from eating chicken.

Since all three members of our family are still sick, I made Shrimp Congee for dinner. I prefer buying shell-on, deveined, medium sized shrimp that has 31 to 40 shrimps per pound. I used the shrimp shells to make a quick shrimp stock which was then added to the congee to give it more flavor.

The little man was so happy to have something other than chicken for dinner (we all were)! He managed to eat a big bowl of congee with 5 shrimps.

Ingredients
2 inch piece of ginger, finely julienned
1 cup white rice
10 cups water
1 cup shrimp stock, optional (see recipe below)

20 medium shell-on shrimp, peeled and deveined (reserve the shell for shrimp stock)
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil

Toppings (optional - personally, I love the toppings the best):
Green onion, chopped
Soy sauce, to taste
Red vinegar, to taste
Preserved vegetables (such as Chili Radishes or Bamboo Shoots in Chili Oil)

Directions
1. In a large pot, wash rice until the water runs clear.

2. Add julienned ginger and water and bring to a boil over high heat. Stirring occasionally. (Do not leave the stove unattended as the congee tends to boil over).

3. As soon as the congee comes to a boil, turn the heat down to low. Simmer with the lid partially covered for at least an hour (to two hours) until the rice starts to break apart and thick. Stir occasionally so the rice does not stick to the bottom of the pot.

4. While the congee is cooking, in a small pot, fill with enough water just barely covering the shrimp shells and bring to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, lower the heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes. It should yield approximately 1 cup of basic shrimp stock. (If you bought peeled shrimp, you can skip this part)

5. Mix shrimp, soy sauce and sesame oil in a bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it marinade in the fridge while the congee is simmering.

6. Once the shrimp stock has reduced to approximately a cup, strain the shrimp stock through a sieve and discard the shells.

7. Add the shrimp stock to the congee and stir. Allow the congee to continue simmering on the stove.

8. Five minutes before serving, add the marinaded shrimp and stir. Cook for 5 minutes or until the shrimp is fully cooked. Ladle and serve with soy sauce, red vinegar, preserved vegetables and century egg.

Drizzle some soy sauce and red vinegar.

Common Toppings for Congee:

L-R: Preserved Bamboo Shoots in Chili Oil, Chili Radishes

Century Egg (preserved duck egg)

Source: Frugal Allergy Mom