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Fish Congee
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5 from 26 votes

20 Minute Fish Congee

This fish congee recipe, a comforting, tasty Cantonese-style rice porridge, cooks in just 20 minutes—using our secret shortcut!
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Rice
Cuisine: Chinese
Servings: 6
Calories: 162kcal
Author: Judy

Ingredients

  • 1 cup white rice
  • 12 ounces delicate white fish filets (such as flounder, sliced into large chunks)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon white pepper plus more to taste
  • 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
  • 2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine
  • 1 teaspoon ginger (grated)
  • 1 large egg white
  • 8-9 cups water or chicken broth (you can also use half stock, half water)
  • 2 cups romaine lettuce (chopped)
  • 3 thin slices ginger (finely julienned)
  • chopped scallion and cilantro (to garnish)
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Wash the rice 1-2 times, mixing it in the water with your hands before discarding the starchy water. Submerge and soak the rice for 30 minutes.
  • Drain and transfer to a resealable bag or other freezer-safe container. Freeze for at least 8 hours.
  • In a medium bowl, marinate the fish with salt, white pepper, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, and ginger. Use your hands to toss the fish to coat. Add the egg white, and gently mix until the marinade feels slippery and each fish chunk is well-coated.
  • Cover the bowl with an overturned plate and transfer to the refrigerator for 15 minutes to marinate while you start the congee.
  • In a large pot, bring 8-9 cups of stock and the frozen rice to a boil (no need to defrost the rice). Cover, leaving the lid slightly ajar to avoid the congee boiling over, and reduce the heat to medium low. Simmer for 10 minutes. Do not stir.
  • While the congee cooks, wash and finely chop the romaine lettuce and very thinly julienne the ginger. Don’t prepare the ginger ahead of time, as you want the flavor of freshly cut ginger.
  • After 10 minutes, increase the heat to medium high, and stir the congee continuously for a couple of minutes to thicken. Stir in the lettuce, and bring to a boil to wilt the lettuce.
  • Finally, add the fish pieces, gently stirring to distribute them. (If you don’t like the taste of raw ginger in your congee, you can add the ginger at this point, along with the fish fillets.) Bring to a boil, and add additional salt and white pepper to taste. Serve topped with scallions, cilantro, and ginger if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 162kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 308mg | Potassium: 178mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1383IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 1mg