While living in Hong Kong, I developed a mild addiction to the breakfast staple congee (‘rice porridge’) – a rich soup of rice and stock, garnished with anything from meat to pickles.
Ingredients
- 4 spring onions
- 75g watercress, mustard leaf, rocket or mizuna (or your favourite leaves)
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2.5cm piece root ginger, finely grated
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 200g risotto rice
- 100ml rice wine or sherry
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp rice wine vinegar (any wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar will do)
- 1 litre fresh vegetable stock, hot
- 2 free-range eggs
- Pinch of dried chilli flakes (optional)
Method
- 1. Finely slice the spring onions, keeping the white and green parts apart. Combine the green bits with the salad leaves in a bowl and set aside.
- 2. Heat the oil gently in a saucepan. When hot, add the onion whites, ginger and garlic and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the rice, stir, then add the wine or sherry and bubble for a minute or so. Add the soy, vinegar and stock and simmer, stirring occasionally, for at least 30 minutes. The rice should be almost falling apart to make a thick soup-like dish. Keep it thick or add more stock, seasoning as you go (balance salty soy with the vinegar’s sharpness).
- 3. Poach the eggs, then place 1 in each soup with a pinch of dried chilli. (Roast duck or pork slices would be good, too.)
Nutritional info
Per serving: 684kcals, 22.2g fat (4.1g saturated), 19g protein, 94.9g carbs, 7.3g sugar, 3.6g salt
Chef's tip
Before serving, stir in the leaves so that they wilt ... just.