The Secrets to Great-Tasting Congee

CEBU, Philippines — Filipinos are a rice-eating nation. In the country, a meal is not complete without rice. In fact, rice is a basic element of a meal; the other elements are there to complement the rice.

Good enough, rice can go with almost any dish, even with several other dishes. Interestingly, rice can also go with either chicken (or just egg), beef, pork or fish as one dish. It becomes congee or rice porridge.

In the rural Philippines, congee at times simply goes with just sugar or salt added to the soupy rice. Some cooks would sometimes add vegetables instead. Whichever way, the congee – actually known by its popular Filipino name “lugaw” – often makes a full meal or a heavy snack.

Congee can also be made gourmet dish, depending on the ingredients that go with the rice. The cooking style is somewhat more ‘sophisticated’ too. Certain things that don’t matter much with the household “lugaw” version are given particular attention here.  

In making “lugaw,” the rice is generally cooked when each grain has become soft thoroughly. That’s true when cooking congee, too. But for a ‘classier’ congee, the website www.homemade-chinese-soups.com recommends that the grains should be broken; the degree of brokenness depends on one’s preference.

The website goes on to mention that many people who eat congee in Hong Kong or at Hong Kong-style restaurants rave about its smoothness and awesome flavor. Most home cooks find it hard to achieve the same high degree of brokenness, thickness and smoothness. The www.homemade-chinese-soups.com website shares a few secrets:

1. Choice of rice. Use short grain or medium grain rice or mix the two. Short grain rice like Calrose has more starch which helps make the congee smoother. However, too much starch can cause a thin film to form on the surface when the congee is cooled. If the film gets mixed back into the porridge, it becomes a gooey lump. Don’t use basmati rice if you want creamy congee.

2. Pre-blend or pre-mill the grains. Breaking down the rice grains with an electric mill or blender before cooking shortens the cooking time. However, if the broken grains are insufficiently cooked, it may present as tiny bits in the thickened soup which is like instant rice porridge in a cup. Although sometimes, this is what people are looking for.

3. Post-blend the congee. You can puree the congee after it has been cooked, just like a creamy pumpkin or tomato soup. A stick or wand blender works best here. A standard blender is also fine as long as the quantity isn’t too much. Again, if the grains aren’t cooked thoroughly, there might be tiny bits.

4. Cooking a base batch. Many restaurants cook up a huge pot of plain congee base. When customers order a certain congee like the century egg and minced pork congee, they take some of the congee base and cook it in a separate pot together with the added ingredients. The second cooking breaks the grains down even more, and brings up the smoothness factor.

5. Marinating the rice. Marinate one cup of washed short grained rice with one tablespoon of cooking oil and half a century egg. Mix them up well and leave to stand overnight. Cook with 10 cups of soup stock the next morning for about 20 to 30 minutes.

6. Cook at a roaring boil for 45 minutes. In general, bring the water and rice to a boil first, then lower to a cheery simmer to continue cooking till done. Bring the water to a boil before adding the rice grains and then continue to cook at a roaring boil for at least 45 minutes. At a roaring boil, you really can’t leave the kitchen.

If plain congee is opted and to be eaten with a few side dishes, the rice shall have a medium degree of brokenness. This is true for the ordinary “lugaw” too, and the “lugaw” shall not be so soupy and, preferably, can make a mound when scooped with a spoon.