1½piecesDried Scalloprehydrated with ½ cup water, reserve the water for later use (see notes)
½cupUncooked Jasmine Ricewashed (see notes)
1cupChicken Broth
6cupsWater
½-1tspSaltto taste
For garnish (optional):
Fresh Gingerfinely sliced
Fresh Spring Onionssliced
Light Soy Sauceto taste
Instructions
Place rice, water and chicken broth into a large pot. Bring to a boil.
Once boiling, turn to low heat and half cover the pot. Let simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally.
Shred up the now softened dried scallops. Add into the congee together with the reserved flavoured water.
Season with salt. Stir and let continue to simmer for another 30 minutes. Add more water if the congee is too thick to your liking.
When ready to serve, garnish with sliced ginger, spring onions, and a quick dash of soy sauce if you like. Serve hot.
Notes
Prep time does not include time for rehydrating the dried scallops. It takes roughly at least 30 minutes for them to soften up.
It's absolutely crucial to reserve the water used for rehydrating the dried scallops as that's where all the savoury flavours are released. It acts as a terrific flavouring agent here in the congee.
Wash and rinse the rice until the water runs clear before cooking.
Thai Jasmine Rice works best for congees because it's incredibly fragrant on its own which adds flavour to the congee. But if you can't get good quality Thai Jasmine Rice, regular long-grain white rice would work.