Vietnamese Chicken Rice Porridge Chao Ga Food

CHáO Gà (VIETNAMESE CHICKEN RICE PORRIDGE / CONGEE)

Steps:

• If you're using leftover or roasted chicken or turkey, remove about 75% of the meat and reserve this to add to your soup / cháo when serving.
• In a large stock pot, add the chicken or turkey, 85% of the filtered water, ginger, onion, salt and fish sauce over high heat. Once it hits a boil, reduce the heat so its at a low to medium simmer. The water should just about cover all the meat and bones. If your pot is very wide, keep in mind you may be using more water than listed, and you may need to add less in the final steps later when adjusting for consistency. Skim off any scum if necessary during the boil. Keep adding water to the pot as it evaporates so the bones remain covered.
• After about 90-120 minutes or when the meat has softened enough to easily be pulled off the bone, remove the poultry and let cool for about 10 minutes. Using your hands or a fork, remove the rest of the meat from the bones. Add the meat back into the pot. Discard the bones, onion, and ginger, since they've given their all to the broth at this point.
• Rice method A (saves time): While your broth is going, cook your rice in a rice cooker. Use equal scoops rice to water, it should finish cooking before your broth above is ready. Add the cooked rice to the pot and simmer on medium to soften the rice. About 10-20 min.
• Rice method B (less things to wash): Add all the raw rice to the pot and return to the heat on high until it hits a boil. Then lower the heat to a low-medium simmer until the rice is cooked and hits a soft consistency you like. It will take about 45-60 minutes depending on your stove. Here's the consistency after boiling, but before adjusting with more water.
• Once the rice is cooked to the doneness you like, which should be very soft way beyond al dente and beyond how you'd eat it outside of soup, adjust the water level. Fun fact, for my family soup thickness is a huge point of contention. Do what you want. Personally, I don't want the soup like a thick paste, but also don't want it so thin that you only see water when looking down at the pot. I want the soup to have a little substance and feel filling.
• Reseason the soup. Reseason with just salt, just fish sauce or equal parts of both to taste. The seasoning measured above is intentially less salt than we need so we can reseason here based on how thick you decided to make the soup.
• Remove from the heat, serve with garnish and accoutrement, and enjoy!

VIETNAMESE CHICKEN RICE PORRIDGE - CHAO GA

Steps:

• Wash and strain the jasmine rice in water until it runs clear (around 2 - 3 times). Drain.
• Add in the chicken, fish sauce, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and black pepper.
• Pour in the chicken stock.
• Give everything a quick stir to make sure the rice is mixed through with the seasonings.
• Pop your lid on your pressure cooker. Cook on high for 20 minutes, before allowing a natural steam release (around 10 minutes). Note: Carefully and slowly release any leftover steam; starchy dishes can cause the steam to splutter more than other pressure-cooked dishes.
• Give the congee a final stir, before serving and topping with your favourite garnishes. Add more water here for a thinner consistency.

CHáO Gà (VIETNAMESE CHICKEN AND RICE PORRIDGE)

Steps:

• Bring water to a boil: Bring 2 1/2 quarts (10 cups) of water to a boil in a kettle or pot.
• Meanwhile, char the onion: Peel and cut the stem and root ends off the onion to create a flat top and bottom. Set a small frying pan over high heat, place the onion on its flat side to char until blackened, then flip to char the other flat side.
• Chill the chicken: Fill a large bowl with very cold water and set it next to the stovetop. Use a spider to carefully scoop the cooked chicken out of the pot into the cold water bath. Allow the chicken to chill for about 15 minutes in the water bath. Then, drain it into a colander set in the sink. This will stop the chicken from cooking and makes sure it stays very tender. Do not discard the hot chicken stock in the pot. You will use it to cook the rice porridge. You can discard the onion.

CHAO GA (VIETNAMESE CHICKEN PORRIDGE)

Steps:

• Add the whole chicken, onion, ginger, salt and mushroom powder to a 6 to 8 quart pot. Fill the pot with water, enough to cover ingredients.
• Take the pot of water to a boil on high heat, then reduce the heat to a simmer on medium low heat.
• Use a ladle to skim any scum and foam off the top of the broth.
• Let the stock simmer uncovered for 40 minutes, or until chicken is done.
• Use tongs to remove chicken from the pot. Set aside.
• Wash the rice. Add rice to a mesh strainer and rinse it thoroughly with cold water until water runs clear. About 15 to 20 seconds.
• Heat a medium pan on medium heat. Add about 1 to 2 teaspoon of olive oil. Add the rice, stir frequently and roast until rice is dry, about 30 seconds.
• Add the rice to the pot of broth and simmer for 20 minutes or until the rice expands and is fully cooked.
• Shred the chicken into bite size pieces (add it back into the pot if it needs to be reheated). Ladle the porridge into a bowl, add the chicken. Garnish with cilantro, green onions and season with ground pepper and squeeze of lime. Optional: add fish sauce and additional mushroom seasoning as needed to taste.

CHAO GA - VIETNAMESE RICE PORRIDGE

Steps:

• Place rice and glutinous rice in a large pot with water and stock.
• Bring to boil then lower heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally.
• Cook until rice is very soft and mixture is thick. Roughly 45-60 minutes.
• Add fish sauce, sugar, shredded chicken, mushrooms, and poultry seasoning.
• Stir Gently.
• If desired, to Poach eggs: add to top of the mixture and cover.
• Let it simmer an additional 5-10 minutes, or the eggs are cooked to your liking.
• Spoon porridge into individual serving bowls.
• Garnish with spring onion.
• Sprinkle with pepper.