The Everything Rice Cooker Cookbook (11 page)

To make a more robust rice soup, you can substitute leeks for the shallots or use a mixture of both to increase the depth and flavor.

1. Add the butter to the rice cooker, cover, and set to Cook. When the base of the cooker pot gets warm, add the shallots and fry for about 5 minutes until shallots are soft.
   

2. Add the garlic and continue to fry for about 1 minute.
   

3. Add the ground beef, soy sauce, and white pepper. Fry for about 2 to 3 minutes, covering the rice cooker occasionally in the process of frying.
   

4. Add the Chinese cooking wine and fry for 1 minute.
   

5. Add the water. When soup mixture in the rice cooker boils, switch the rice cooker to Warm and simmer for about 15 minutes, until beef cooks through.
   

6. Before serving, ladle soup over cooked rice in serving bowls. Garnish with green onions.
   

Traditionally, kedgeree is a dish of flaked fish, cooked rice, hard-boiled eggs, and butter. Make it flexible, your way, by using leftover cooked fish (preferably grilled), fresh fish cooked on the same day, or canned fish.

1. Fill the rice cooker pot with water to about the 4-cup mark. Cover the rice cooker and set to Cook. While the water is coming to a boil, place the salmon on a plate that will fit in the steamer insert or basket. When the water boils, place the plate that holds the salmon into the steamer insert or basket. Cover the rice cooker and steam for about 6 to 8 minutes or until the salmon cooks through (turns to light pinkish orange). Set aside the salmon and break into bite-sized flakes.
   

2. Clean out the rice cooker and wipe dry. Add the butter to the rice cooker, cover, and set to Cook. When the base of the cooker pot gets warm, add the shallots and fry about 5 minutes until shallots are soft, covering the rice cooker occasionally.
   

3. Add the garlic and continue to fry for about 1 minute, covering the rice cooker occasionally.
   

4. Add the cooked rice and flaked salmon and mix well to incorporate all the flavors.
   

5. Top with hard-boiled eggs, green onions, cilantro, black pepper, and salt. Switch rice cooker to Warm and allow it to sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
   

Cooking Tip

In addition to using leftover cooked fish, you also can whip up kedgeree easily when you have leftover hard-boiled eggs. If you will cook the hard-boiled eggs on the same day that you try this recipe, you can save time by boiling the eggs in the rice cooker before you steam the salmon. Place room-temperature eggs in the rice cooker, with enough cold water to cover them. Turn the rice cooker to Cook. Bring the water to a boil; continue boiling the eggs for 8 minutes with the rice cooker covered. Remove the eggs (leaving the boiling water in the pot) and run cold water over them. While the water in the rice cooker is still boiling, place the steamer insert or basket that holds the plate of salmon into the rice cooker, cover the cooker, and steam the salmon as directed in this recipe.

There are two common types of fish congee in Asia. In one of them (this recipe) the fish is cooked together with the rice porridge, and the finished dish has a “gluey” consistency. The other is a fish soup ladled over fish slices and rice (similar to
Halibut and Asparagus Soup
).

1. Rinse rice well by gently swirling the rice in the cooker pot with 2 or 3 changes of cold water. Drain rice.
   

2. Combine the fish slices with salt, pepper, sesame oil, and Chinese cooking wine. Set in the fridge to marinate.
   

3. Add the rinsed rice and the water to the rice cooker, cover, and set to Cook. When you hear the rice cooker making noises and see some over-bubbling of fluid at the lid, lift up the rice cooker cover. Add the ginger slices, stir the congee, and continue to cook for 30 to 45 minutes with the cover tilted slightly to vent the steam pressure, stirring occasionally. During this process, adjust the amount of water depending on whether you like soupy or thick rice congee.
   

4. Add the marinated fish slices to the congee, partially cover the rice cooker, and bring to a boil again. The fish slices should be cooked (turns opaque) in about 5 minutes. (Do not overcook the fish by boiling the congee for too long.)
   

5. Dish out congee into serving bowls and drizzle each with two drops of sesame oil. Add a dash of pepper and garnish with green onions and Fried Ginger Strips before serving.
   

Rice Storage Tips

Place the opened rice package in an airtight container to help keep out moisture and rice weevils. Store the container in a dry, cool place.

To add variety, you can also add fish balls to your seafood congee. You can buy them already made or make your own as directed in
Fishball (Dumpling) Soup
.

1. Add rinsed rice and the water to rice cooker, cover, and set to Cook. When you hear the rice cooker making noises and see some over-bubbling of fluid at the lid, lift up the rice cooker cover. Add the ginger, stir well, and continue to simmer for 30 to 45 minutes with the cover tilted slightly to vent the steam pressure, stirring occasionally, until the rice turns into a soft pulp.
   

2. Stir in shrimp, scallops, fish slices, and pepper. Partially cover rice cooker and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until seafood cooks through.
   

3. During this process, adjust the amount of water depending on whether you like soupy or thick rice congee. Garnish with green onions.
   

Leftover Thanksgiving turkey? Shred the turkey and substitute it for the chicken in this recipe.

1. Add the rinsed rice and chicken stock to rice cooker, cover, and set to Cook. When you hear the rice cooker making noises and see some over-bubbling of fluid at the lid, lift up the rice cooker cover. Continue to simmer for 30 to 45 minutes with the cover tilted slightly to vent the steam pressure, stirring occasionally, until the rice turns into a soft pulp.
   

2. Stir in the chicken, ginger, salt, and pepper. Simmer and cook, partially covered, for 15 to 20 minutes until chicken cooks through. Continue cooking and adjust the amount of water, depending on whether you like soupy or thick rice congee. Before serving, drizzle with sesame oil and garnish with green onions.
   

Tuna or salmon flakes can make this congee a nutritious and comforting breakfast meal.

1. Add the rinsed rice and water to the rice cooker, cover, and set to Cook. When you hear the rice cooker making noises and see some over-bubbling of fluid at the lid, lift up the rice cooker cover, stir the congee, and continue to cook for 30 to 45 minutes with the cover tilted slightly to vent the steam pressure. Stir occasionally.
   

2. Add flaked tuna, corn, and pepper, and continue cooking for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust the amount of water, depending on whether you like soupy or thick rice congee.
   

Make pork meatballs (as in the
Meatballs and Napa Cabbage Soup recipe
) and add them to the pork congee.

1. Add the oil to the rice cooker, cover, and set to Cook. When the base of the cooker pot gets warm, add the pork, garlic, mushrooms, soy sauce, salt, and pepper. Fry for about 5 to 8 minutes until fragrant, covering the rice cooker occasionally in the process of frying.
   

2. When fragrant, dish out half of the pork mixture and set aside in a bowl.
   

3. Add the rinsed rice to the remaining pork mixture; stir to mix well.
   

4. Slowly add the water, cover the rice cooker, and allow the mixture to come to a boil. When you hear the rice cooker making noises and see some over-bubbling of fluid at the lid, lift up the rice cooker cover.
   

5. Add the reserved pork mixture, stir gently, and continue to simmer for 30 to 45 minutes with the cover tilted slightly to vent the steam pressure. Stir occasionally, until the rice turns into a soft pulp. During this process you can adjust the amount of water, depending on whether you like soupy or thick rice congee.
   

6. Season with white pepper and garnish with green onions before serving.
   

Pumpkin adds a mild sweetness to this dish, and complements the savory flavor of the pork.

1. Add the oil to the rice cooker, cover, and set to Cook. When the base of the cooker pot gets warm, add the pork, garlic, mushrooms, pumpkin, soy sauce, salt, and pepper. Fry for about 5 to 8 minutes until fragrant, covering the rice cooker occasionally in the process of frying.
   

2. When fragrant, dish out half of the pork mixture and set aside in a bowl.
   

3. Add the rinsed rice to the remaining pork mixture; stir to mix well.
   

4. Slowly add the water, cover the rice cooker, and allow the mixture to come to a boil. When you hear the rice cooker making noises and see some over-bubbling of fluid at the lid, lift up the rice cooker cover. Add the reserved pork mixture, stir gently, and continue to simmer for 30 to 45 minutes with the cover tilted slightly to vent the steam pressure. Stir occasionally, until the rice turns into a soft pulp. During this process you can adjust the amount of water, depending on whether you like soupy or thick rice congee.
   

5. Season with pepper and garnish with green onions before serving.
   

Cooking Tip

In many Chinese restaurants, the rice congee served is so smooth that you cannot even see the whole grains anymore. A lot of chefs use a mixture of rice grains (broken grains, pearl rice grains, and others) to achieve the smooth “gluey” consistency. If you are using only long-grain or short-grain rice at home, you can stir the rice mixture at intervals during cooking and simmering. This will break up the whole grains and allow the final consistency to be smooth.

Adding sweet potatoes to rice porridge seems to have originated during wartime, when rice was considered expensive and sweet potatoes were in abundance. The sweet potatoes were added to rice congee to give it more bulk and substance.

1. Add the rinsed rice and water to the rice cooker, cover, and set to Cook. When you hear the rice cooker making noises and see some over-bubbling of fluid at the lid, lift up the rice cooker cover.
   

2. Add the sweet potatoes and salt, stir the congee, and continue to cook for 30 to 45 minutes with the cover tilted slightly to vent the steam pressure. Stir occasionally. During this process you can adjust the amount of water, depending on whether you like soupy or thick rice congee.
   

Presoak the dried gojiberries in water to soften them slightly prior to cooking. Do not add them until about 5 minutes before serving the congee, because the gojiberries become bitter when they are cooked too long.

1. Add the rinsed rice and water to the rice cooker, cover, and set to Cook. When you hear the rice cooker making noises and see some over-bubbling of fluid at the lid, lift up the rice cooker cover, stir the congee, and continue to cook for 30 to 45 minutes with the cover tilted slightly to vent the steam pressure. Stir occasionally. During this process you can adjust the amount of water, depending on whether you like soupy or thick rice congee.
   

2. About 5 minutes before serving the congee, stir in gojiberries.
   

Do You Know?

Gojiberry is also known as Chinese wolfberry and has been touted as one of the super foods in recent years due to the amount of antioxidants, nutrients, and fiber the berries contain. Specifically, gojiberry has high amounts of beta carotene, essential minerals, and vitamins B and C. In traditional Chinese medicine, gojiberry is also a natural supplement known to relieve eye strain.

Substitute chicken or beef for the pork if preferred.

1. Add the oil to the rice cooker, cover, and set to Cook. When the base of the cooker pot gets warm, add the pork, taro cubes, soy sauce, salt, and pepper. Fry for about 5 to 8 minutes until fragrant, covering the rice cooker occasionally in the process of frying. When fragrant, dish out the pork and taro mixture and set aside in a bowl.
   

2. Add the rinsed rice and water to the rice cooker, and cover. When you hear the rice cooker making noises and see some over-bubbling of fluid at the lid, lift up the rice cooker cover.
   

3. Add the pork and taro mixture, stir the congee, and continue to cook for about 30 minutes with the cover tilted slightly to vent the steam pressure, stirring occasionally. During this process you can adjust the amount of water, depending on whether you like soupy or thick rice congee.
   

4. About 5 minutes before serving, stir in the spinach.
   

Do You Know?

Congee is one of the common Chinese home remedies for the symptoms of colds and flu. It is believed that the cooking liquid in which the congee is simmered contains a lot of vitamin B (due to the rice grains breaking down) and can boost both the immune system and energy level. The liquid also prevents the dehydration that can occur with a cold or the flu.