Congee is one of my comfort food and I love it thick and smooth. My favourite is century egg congee. Knock an egg into the congee, the heat from the congee will cook it, yolk still soft. Break the yolk and that whole combination with the congee brings a nice warmth to my tummy.

The trick to a smooth congee is to freeze the rice ahead of time. Wash the rice, drain, and put the washed rice in a zip-loc bag (or freezer-safe container), and leave it in the freezer for at least 8 hours. This allow the moisture in the rice freezes, expands, and breaks the rice kernel into tiny pieces to dramatically reduce the cooking time.

Ingredients
2 rice cups white rice
300g minced pork or 4 ounces pork shoulder, sliced
7 cups water and 7 cups chicken broth
3 century eggs
3 slices ginger
Ground white pepper to taste
Salt to taste
Chopped scallion and cilantro, to garnish
50g dried scallop, pre soaked

Pork Marinate
2tbsp chinese cooking wine
1tsp salt
Some grounded white pepper

Rice Marinate
2tbsp oil
1/2 tsp salt

Instructions
1. Wash the rice, drain, marinate and transfer to a zip-loc bag or freezer-safe container. Leave it in the freezer for at least 8 hours

2. Marinate the pork for about 15 to 20 minutes.

3. In a medium pot, bring 7 cups of water and 7 cups chicken broth to a boil. Add the frozen rice (no need to defrost) and bring it to a boil again, stirring the rice to prevent sticking. Reduce the heat to a low simmer, and cover and cook for about 15 minutes. Periodically check and stir the congee. Stir from the bottom to prevent sticking, as the rice texture thickens quickly.

4. While that is cooking, dice the century egg and set it aside. Very thinly julienne the ginger.

5. After 15 minutes, add the julienned ginger, pork, and century egg. Stir and simmer for another 5 minutes or so. Finally, stir in the white pepper and salt to taste. Serve piping hot with chopped scallions and cilantro.

Cooking Notes
1. Add more stock or water to the congee if you find it too thick.