Chicken and Rice Congee in Bone Broth — The Medicinal Asian Porridge

At a glance: Chicken and Rice Congee in Bone Broth — The Medicinal Asian Porridge: serves 4, cooked in lard and tallow, with no seed oils.

Congee is rice cooked beyond al dente, beyond tender, all the way to a silky porridge where the grains have dissolved into the liquid. The secret is ratio: far more liquid than you think (8:1 to 10:1 liquid to rice) and time. You cannot rush congee. The slow simmer in bone broth is what transforms a simple grain into a genuinely restorative dish.

Chicken and Rice Congee in Bone Broth

Serves: 4 · Prep: 15 min · Cook: 90 min

Ingredients

• 1 cup jasmine rice
• 8 cups chicken bone broth
• 2 cups water
• 300g chicken thighs (boneless, skin-on)
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
• 2 tsp soy sauce or coconut aminos
• 1 tsp lard
• 1 tsp salt
• To serve: soft-boiled eggs, sliced green onion, white pepper, chilli oil (made in lard or tallow, not seed oil) (tallow-based)

Method

1. Rinse the rice until water runs clear. Place in a heavy pot with bone broth and water.
2. Add chicken thighs whole. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce to the lowest simmer.
3. Cook uncovered, stirring every 15 minutes, for 75–90 minutes until the rice has broken down into a creamy porridge. The broth will reduce significantly.
4. Remove chicken. Shred the meat with two forks, discarding the skin.
5. Return shredded chicken to the pot. Stir in grated ginger, soy sauce or coconut aminos, and lard.
6. Taste and adjust salt. The congee should be fluid enough to pour slowly — add broth if it has thickened too much.
7. Serve in deep bowls topped with a halved soft-boiled egg, sliced green onion, and white pepper.

Congee keeps well in the refrigerator for 3 days and thickens considerably as it cools. Reheat with a splash of broth or water to restore the original consistency. Do not boil on reheating — gentle heat preserves the texture.

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