In Search of Comfort: Craving for Congee

Comfort in a bowl. Congee. Photos by Jep | Flickr

Lately, I’ve been having cravings, mostly for food I can’t seem to find here in my hometown of Iloilo City. Oddly enough, one dish I haven’t been able to track down is a decent bowl of congee. I'm not longing for anything extravagant, just a simple, soul-soothing bowl of rice porridge topped with tender beef strips or steamed fish, garnished with thinly sliced ginger and spring onions. Add a soft-boiled egg with a jammy yolk cut in half, nestled to the side. If you're feeling fancy, a sprinkle of pork floss will do. Feeling extra fancy? A few slices of century egg and a generous drizzle of roasted sesame oil will turn that humble bowl into something extraordinary.

That’s the magic of congee - it’s not one specific dish, but rather a canvas. As long as you have rice and water, you can make it as simple or as elaborate as you want.

What puzzles me is how, in a city with such a vibrant Chinese community, I still haven’t found a place that serves good congee. Maybe I haven’t looked hard enough. What you’ll commonly find in Iloilo is chicken arroz caldo, a hearty rice porridge flavored with chicken broth and ginger, topped with shredded native chicken. It loosely fits within the broad category of congee, but its roots actually trace back to Spanish arroz caldoso. If you ever find yourself in Iloilo, make sure to try the native chicken arroz caldo from Luna’s Arroz Caldo.

Another variation I wish were easier to find here is goto (rice porridge with beef tripe). However, I suppose regional availability significantly influences what ends up on the menu. Luckily, congee and its cousins are easy enough to cook at home.

With that in mind, I figured: Why not try making it myself?

I came across this article that outlines how to get congee to the perfect creamy consistency in just 20 minutes. The trick? Wash and drain your rice, then freeze it overnight. Freezing helps the rice break down faster once boiled. I followed their instructions, including the instructions on velveted beef stir-fry, and it turned out beautifully.

In the spirit of experimentation, I also tried this tutorial on using the air fryer for making jammy eggs. It didn’t save much cooking time, but it did spare me from washing another pot.

I picked up some ready-to-use pork floss, though I wasn’t a big fan. It leaned on the sweeter side, and I got the feeling it was meant more for those pork floss buns than savory congee.

Store-bought pork floss. Photos by Jep | Flickr

To finish it off, I drizzled the congee with light soy sauce and roasted sesame oil, served it piping hot, and let the comfort settle in. Cravings finally satisfied.