Seafood Congee

SEAFOOD CONGEE

Steps:

• Rinse dried scallop. Place in a small bowl and tap water to cover. Let rehydrate for 2 to 3 hours.
• Rinse rice a few times and transfer to a large pot. Add 2 liters (8 cups) water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Stir a few times. Turn to medium low or medium heat. Cover the pot halfway to keep the water boiling without spilling. Cook for 30 minutes. Stir the congee a few times during cooking.
• Cut the shrimp down the center of the back into two thin pieces.
• Combine shrimp, Shaoxing wine, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside.
• Drain dried scallop. Tear into smaller pieces by hand. Set aside.
• When the congee has been cooking for 30 minutes and starts to thicken, add dried scallop. Keep cooking with the pot half covered, until the congee achieves the desired thickness, 15 to 20 minutes. Be careful, the congee will get quite thick and sticky towards the end. Stand close to the pot and stir frequently. It will easily spill if covered too much or if the heat is too high. The rice will stick to the bottom if you don't stir enough.
• When the congee is cooked, add shrimp and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon ginger. Stir a few times. Stop heat immediately. Add the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt or salt to taste. Stir well. Drizzle with sesame oil and scatter with green onion.
• Serve warm.

MIXED SEAFOOD CONGEE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, soak the dried mushrooms in the hot water for 20 minutes. Drain and reserve the soaking liquid. Remove and discard the stems, dice the caps and set aside.
• Heat a wok or pan over high heat and the vegetable oil. Once smoking, add the ginger, shallots and diced mushrooms and stir-fry for a few seconds. Add in the squid, clams, mussels and shrimp, and stir-fry until the shrimp tails begin to turn pink, about 2 minutes. Toss in the cooked rice. Then add the reserved mushroom soaking liquid and vegetable stock and bring to boil. Season the mixture with the rice wine, light soy sauce, a pinch of salt and 2 pinches of ground white pepper. Add the bok choy stems, bamboo shoots and cilantro stems and cook 1 minute before adding the bok choy leaves. Simmer until the seafood is cooked and the clam and mussel shells have opened. Discard any unopened clams or mussels. Serve immediately, garnished with the cilantro leaves.