It’s Easter long weekend and my husband and I are both sick. Funny how illness spreads among family members!
Because we are both ill, we wanted something warm, mellow, soothing and easy to digest.
Abalone congee is a favourite at our house. Lightly and gently flavoured, it is perfect for sick people who don’t want to eat anything with strong flavours.
In Australia, we can buy abalone fresh, frozen or canned. Canned abalone are usually already cleaned.
If you buy fresh or frozen abalone, you will need to clean it by washing thoroughly. Scrub with salt and a soft brush or sponge to remove the greyish film on the abalone. Then you will need to remove the beak and guts. There are helpful instructions on the Ausab Pure Australian Abalone website: http://www.ausab.com.au/abalone/how-to-prepare-abalone/
Don’t throw the guts away - these add extra umami flavour and you will need it for this recipe.
Soothing Abalone Congee
Ingredients
1 cup sweet (glutinous) rice
3 abalone, shucked, washed and cleaned
Guts from the 3 abalone
2 tablespoons soju
1-2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ginger wine
1-2 teaspoons ginger powder (add more if you like yours extra gingery!)
4-8 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon fish sauce (add more if you like yours more salty)
Spring onion, for garnishing
Roasted seaweed cut into thin strips, for garnishing
Method
Wash the rice 3-4 times, then soak in water overnight.
Lightly score the top of the abalone, then turn it the other way and cut into thin slices.
Soak the abalone and guts in soju for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Drain water from the rice.
In a large pot over medium-high heat, stir fry the garlic and abalone guts in sesame oil until the garlic turns a light gold colour.
If you want a lightly flavoured congee - remove the pot from the heat and use chopsticks to pick out and discard the guts. Skip this step if you want the congee to have a stronger umami flavour.
Return back to the heat. Add more sesame oil if required and stir fry the rice until it becomes slightly translucent.
Add the sliced abalone, soju, ginger wine and ginger powder. Stir.
Pour in 4 cups of chicken stock. Stir.
Cover the pot and boil for 10-15 minutes.
Stir the mixture. Leave the lid ajar. Turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer for 30-45 minutes.
Check in every few minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
If the mixture is looking too thick, add more stock bit by bit. Stir and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer.
The congee is done when the rice is soft and mushy, and the broth is milky.
Stir in the fish sauce.
Serve in bowls, garnished with chopped spring onion and roasted seaweed. You can also add a poached egg and some sesame seeds if desired. Happy Eating!
