Thanksgiving Turkey Congee Food

TURKEY CONGEE

Steps:

• Place rice into a large container and cover with several inches of cool water; let soak 8 hours to overnight. Drain and rinse.
• Bring 4 quarts water and chicken broth to a boil in a large pot. Add turkey carcass; bring back to a boil. Reduce heat to medium to bring liquid to a simmer; cover partially and cook, stirring occasionally and adding water as needed, until rice is partially dissolved, about 3 hours.
• Season congee with salt and pepper. Discard bones before serving.

LEFTOVER THANKSGIVING TURKEY CONGEE

Steps:

• In a very large stock pot, add the turkey carcass and all the veggies. Pour in the water and the rice, and bring everything to a boil. Let it simmer for 90 minutes. Use tongs to remove any bones, etc. Season with salt, white pepper, and garnish with scallion and cilantro.
• Now, that's the way we've always done it. But if you want a really smooth congee, you can do it a slightly different way. Rather than adding the rice to the pot at the beginning, simply add the carcass, vegetables, and water to the stock pot. Simmer for 2 hours until you have a rich stock.
• Remove any large bones and then strain the stock into a clean pot. Add the rice, bring to a boil, and simmer for another 90 minutes. Stir in some leftover shredded turkey, season with salt and pepper, and garnish with scallions and cilantro.

TURKEY CONGEE WITH CRISPY SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Bring turkey, onion, ginger, cinnamon, star anise, and 14 cups cold water to a boil in a large heavy pot. Reduce heat and simmer gently, turning turkey over halfway through, until liquid is reduced to 8 cups, 50-65 minutes. Discard carcass; strain stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium saucepan.
• Add rice to stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until soup begins to thicken, 35-45 minutes (make sure to stir the bottom of pot to prevent rice from sticking). Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until rice begins to break into smaller pieces and mixture resembles the consistency of oatmeal, 10-15 minutes longer; season congee with salt.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Cook mushrooms, tossing occasionally, until browned and crisp, 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat and add soy sauce; season generously with pepper.
• Divide congee among bowls. Top with crispy mushrooms and cilantro and drizzle with chili oil.