I came across this recipe for turkey congee a while ago that looked interesting. I had never had a congee before and so I wanted to try it. A congee is a rice porridge. I made sure to set aside some of the turkey leftovers from my holiday turkey dinner to make the turkey congee. I was not able to find the dried scallops that the original recipe called for and I forgot to pick up the dried shrimp. Luckily I had some dried shiitake mushrooms on hand and they were listed as a possible alternative. Instead of cooking the congee with the turkey bones I used the turkey stock that I had made using the bones. Although the congee took a while to cook it did not require that much hands on time. The aroma of the congee from the turkey stock and the shiitake mushrooms was amazing. Despite the nice aroma the congee had a fairly subtle flavour. At first I was a bit disappointed but as I ate it, it grew on me. By the time that I had finished the bowl I realized that I was really enjoying it. I guess that flavour does not need to be super strong to be good. I also really liked the creamy texture of the congee. I will definitely have to look harder for some dried scallops to try the next time I make this.
Turkey Congee (Rice Porridge)
ingredients
- 5 dried shiitake mushrooms
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 2 carrots (chopped)
- 3 stalks celery (chopped)
- 8 cups turkey stock
- 1 cup raw rice
- 1 cup cooked turkey meat (shredded)
- fish sauce or soy sauce to taste
- 1 green onion (chopped, optional)
directions
- Pour the boiling water over the dried shiitake mushrooms and let them soak for 10-20 minutes.
- Slice the shiitake mushrooms reserving the water.
- Heat the oil in a large stock pan.
- Add the carrots and celery and saute until tender.
- Add the turkey stock and rice and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat low and simmer until the rice has absorbed most of the water, about 1-2 hours. (Do not stir while it is simmering.)
- Add the fish sauce or soy sauce a bit at a time until the congee is seasoned to your liking.
- Serve garnished with chopped green onions.
Turkey Pho
Kevin, I am always impressed with whatever you make and post! Good job on the congee. It looks delicious and especially warm and inviting right now 🙂
jen at use real butter
love it!
the dried scallops definitely add a ton of flavor.
next time add a bit more fish sauce if you want a deeper flavor!
Kevin, I’ve been wanting to try a congee. It looks so creamy and comforting.
Excellent use of the leftover turkey Kevin!!!I had not heard of Congee until now. It definitely sounds interesting and worth a try!
I had this in China, where it seemed to be mainly a breakfast dish (well, as far as I could tell, not speaking any Chinese!) They cooked it until a lot of the rice had kind of disintegrated into the broth. I agree, it did kind of grow on me.
Never heard or tried congee before, is it similar in taste to a risotto?
Does look yummy. 🙂
It looks like a loose risotto and just as comforting.
The Leftover King strikes again! Never a dull moment at your house, Kevin, as long as you have leftovers aroung. Looks really good!
I love congee, especially the ‘classic’ ones like chicken congee, and minced pork and century egg congee. You’re right that the flavour is very subtle, which makes it wonderful if you’re just recovering from a cold or stomach bug. I guess it’s like chicken soup, nourishing and easy on the tummy.
I like to drizzle a bit of sesame oil on mine just before eating.