Day 2: Stomach illness + rice congee

I know it doesn't look like much, but I'm about to introduce you to the Chinese chicken soup for the soul. Americans, meet congee. It's a rice porridge – proclaimed by Chinese grandmas and moms the world over as the cure for a weak stomach – white rice slow-boiled over the stove for literally hours until it melts down into a semi-thick (or thin, depends on how you like it) consistency. 

The basic congee is plain white rice, and it is usually built up with subtle flavors from a few different Chinese pantry staples: salty pork, dried scallops, or dried shrimp. But my FAVORITE ingredient is the 1,000-year black egg. The egg is preserved in a mixture of clay and ash, and produces an cream-like substance on the inside and a jelly-like mold on the outside. I don't know how to describe the flavor, except that it's definitely an acquired taste not for the unadventurous! In my opinion, it's Chinatown's best kept secret!

On Day 2 of my illness yesterday, I finally felt strong enough to stand by the stove to attempt making congee for the first time. My mom and aunt gave me instructions, and using the dried scallops my grandma sent, I'm pleased to say that the outcome was a fair success! 

{ congee with dried scallops }