I don't really mean to write about lemons and lemonade. I want to write about rice and the way you can transform rice into something else, much like making lemonade out of lemons.Due to the nature of husband's job (odd hours), I always have to keep a my rice cooker full of fresh rice. But I don't like husband or family to eat rice that is too old as it just doesn't taste as good, so I generally try and turn off the cooker and take out the rice if it has been sitting in there for 24 hours. Sometimes this means I have a LOT of rice leftover, and what do I do with it? I cool it and freeze it in ziploc bags so I have rice for the future. What sort of future can frozen rice have? You'd be very surprised at how WONDERFUL previously frozen, defrosted rice is in making fried rice, kimchee fried rice, or ome-rice. The other thing it can become is a beautiful, silky, comforting porridge (jook 죽). You can actually make it sort of a "leftover delight" but I try and make it really delicious by restraining the number of ingredients I want to put in, and instead really focusing on the rice and a few simple additions. Our family favorite is chicken, ginger, garlic with the rice and then topped with some scallions. It's wonderfully comforting, but also easy to make and completely delicious. Served with some green beans, bok choy, garlic broccoli, soy stewed beef and/or kimchee, and you have a complete meal.
Ginger Garlic Chicken Porridge (닭죽)
Serves 3-4
2 cups cooked rice (If it is frozen, defrost the rice)
4 cups water
2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger (or more if you like)
2 tablespoons of chopped garlic (or more if you like)
1-2 cups of shredded cooked chicken (my rotisserie chicken from Costco often ends up in the porridge.)
1/4 chopped green onions (for the top)
Salt and pepper to taste
1. In a large heavy pot, add the rice and water. (You'll notice my rice is a mix of brown and white)
2. Using a wooden spoon break up the rice so that the rice is fully submerged in the water. Turn on the heat to medium. Add ginger, garlic, and cooked chicken.
3. Leave the pot uncovered and bring to a boil, and then reduce heat as to maintain a simmer. Stir occasionally to make sure the rice is not stuck to the bottom. If you are not careful and too eager and try and get it to boiling too quickly, you WILL make the rice water overflow and it is a HUGE mess.
4. Allow to cook and simmer for about 25 minutes, and the rice has "melted" and lost some of it's shape...it will be silky looking and slightly translucent. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Serve with chopped green onions on top.
Printable recipe
Delicious and ready to be eaten up.
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8 comments:
what a great way to use up leftover rice.
i just made my own salmon jook out of leftovers and saw your post... i'm on a jook roll... ginger chicken jook next!
so funny how asian cuisines are similar. my mom is thai and we make something VERY similar. love the ease of this recipe. i saw the post above called it jook and we call it jok (sounds like joke). Love it!! (PS I'm obsessed with your blog!)
Hi ladies - thanks for all the comments. I appreciate, as always the feedback. Love hearing it here! Jessica - I've had Thai Jok (in bangkokg for breakfast) and it tastes different because of the use of jasmine rice - but nonetheless delicious.
Jook always makes me think of mom and home. It's such a great comfort food when you're feeling ill too... yum.
Joanne, yes I'm sure mine would taste different from yours because I only use Jasmine rice. Unless I'm making korean or japanese food, then I do actually have calrose rice that I use. It's fun to see the similarities in the asian cuisine, and the differences. It does allow you to make your own dishes just reading other's recipes, and doing it with what you have at home. (which it seems is one of the themes of your blog)
can't wait to try your alcohol sauce :-)
hahha -the make your own alcohol sauce came about only because I NEVER have vodka at home - I have whiskey, red and white wine, beer, sake, but not vodka.
Any time I know I am having a large number of guests, but not intending to be anything but casual, Jook/Congee is my usual solution: start up the rice cooker early that morning with 1 part rice to 10 parts water. Add seasonings like: thin strips of a sheet of Nori, white pepper, ginger, dried chives, soy sauce, sesame oil, and some boullion cubes (msg-free), get it boiling, then lower it to the "warm" cycles, then forget about it for 8 or 10 hours, stirring it at most hourly, till folks arrive. I can feed like a dozen people on under a dollar. :P
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