STORY BEHIND THE RECIPE

Congee means different things to different people, but for me, the gold standard of a good congee is the type that is typically served at top-notch Cantonese restaurants. Congee, like Pork Meatball Congee with Dried Baby Scallops, is usually cooked for a few hours (sometimes overnight) in order to break the rice grains down to achieve that thick creamy texture!

The congee on its own is plain, but it gets its sweetness and flavour from the pork as well as the scallops to make a very appetising yet light dish. If you prefer a more savoury congee, you can also try out my recipe for Salted Egg, Century Egg and Pork Congee!

TRICK OF THE TRADE

I like my congee thick, creamy and slightly lumpy because it provides more texture, but for others who may prefer a smoother consistency, add more water and stir vigorously. The rice grains are already very soft, so they will easily break up as you stir.

An even easier way to ensure that is to use a hand blender (choose one which is at least 600W and with stainless steel rods and blades to withstand the heat) to blend the congee after cooking, just before you add in the meatballs to cook.

To save you hours of simmering the rice, here’s a great tip! A few hours before you start cooking, add some salt and oil to the washed rice, and leave it in the freezer for a few hours. This helps to rice to break up very easily once it is poured into the pot of hot boiling water, significantly reducing the cooking time.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS DISH

• It’s a very light dish! Suitable for breakfast, or a snack, or for babies, the elderly and people who are suffering from indigestion. Certainly one of my comfort foods to go to.
• The thick, creamy but lumpy texture of the dish makes it addictive to eat! Coupled together with different textures from the other ingredients from this dish makes each bite a new experience!

HOW TO MAKE PORK MEATBALL CONGEE?

1. Wash the rice and drain off the water. Add in the 2 tsp oil and 1/4 tsp salt to the rice and mix well and leave in the freezer until ready to cook. (do this a few hours beforehand.)
2. Meanwhile, wash the pork and mince it. Add all the marinade ingredients to the pork and mix well, then set aside for later use.
3. Wash the dried baby scallops, then soak them in half a bowl of boiling water until ready to cook.
4. Wash the spring onions and slice them into small pieces.
5. Pour 1.5 litres of boiling water into a large pot, then add in all the scallops including the water used for soaking the scallops. Cover the pot with the lid, leaving a gap to prevent the water from bubbling over. Then bring it to a boil, and simmer for 15 mins over medium heat.
6. After 15 minutes, turn the heat up to high. Once boiling vigorously, take out the rice from the freezer and pour it straight into the pot. Stir mixture until grains separate to prevent them from sticking to each other.
7. Continue to cook over medium heat with lid half covered, stirring mixture constantly until grains begin to break up (about 20-30 mins).
8. Once the rice starts to break up and the mixture becomes slightly starchy, turn heat to low and continue to stir constantly for another 10 mins. Add salt and light soy sauce to taste.
9. Next, choose 1 of 3 alternatives to cook the meatballs in the congee.

COOKING TIPS

1. Wash and drain the rice and leave it in the freezer well ahead of time (a few hours before) until ready to cook. The moisture in the rice will expand upon freezing and the frozen rice is pour into the pot of hot boiling water immediately. The grain will crack and thus reduce the cooking time tremendously.
2. Keep stirring the porridge, especially when it turns a bit starchy. This is to prevent the porridge in the bottom of the pot from getting burnt and to further break up the rice grains.
3. If the porridge is too starchy, add a little more water depending on how thick or diluted you want your porridge to be.When the porridge cools down, it will become more starchy as the rice absorbs more water.
4. Ensure the egg is at room temperature or it will not cook easily.
5. Stir gently when stirring the meatballs in the congee, or the meatballs will break up and disintegrate.

ALTERNATIVES

1. Substitute the pork with chicken or beef if that is your preference.
2. ‘Tung Chai’ (preserved cabbage) can be added as a topping but you will need to control the amount as it is rather salty. Simply give the Tung Chai a rinse under the tap to get rid of any foreign particles and excess salt, then squeeze dry to get rid of the excess water before adding it into the porridge.
3. Here’s the link to my Crispy Shallots recipe in case you need it.

WHICH ALTERNATIVE SHOULD I CHOOSE?

1. Cook the meatballs directly in the congee as this adds sweetness and flavour to the congee, but it is also tricky because it is hard for the heat to penetrate the starchy consistency of the congee.
2. My own preference and recommendation is Alternative A. Why? Firstly, I prefer to cook the meatballs in small batches to ensure the meat is cooked thoroughly. Secondly, it is easier for the heat to penetrate through the starchy congee when it is in small batches, as compared to a whole pot.

WANT A MORE LIQUIDY PORRIDGE? 

If you prefer a more liquid and smooth consistency…

1.  add more water and stir vigorously. The rice grains are already very soft, so they will easily break up as you stir.
2. An even easier way is to use a hand blender (choose one which is at least 600W and with stainless steel rods and blades to withstand the heat) to blend the congee after cooking, just before you add in the meatballs to cook.

DIETARY MODIFICATIONS

• Egg-Free: Skip the egg
• Fish-Free: No modifications needed.
• Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free sauces and condiments.
• Nut-Free: No modifications needed.
• Shellfish-Free: Skip the dried scallops.

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Pork Meatball Congee with Dried Scallops

Course: Breakfast, Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: chinese congee, pork congee, pork meatball congee

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 420kcal

Author: Bee Leng

Don't you simply love the thick, creamy consistency of Pork Meatball Congee With Scallops served at top-notch Cantonese restaurants? Here's the recipe on how to make this sweet and flavourful congee at home, without the long hours typically needed! 

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 350 gm Lean pork

Pork Marinade

• 1/4-1/2 tsp Salt
• 2 tsp Light Soy Sauce
• 1/2 tsp Corn flour
• A Dash Pepper
• 2 tsp Oil

Congee Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cup Rice
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 2 tsp Oil
• 1 1/2 Litre Water more water can be added if too starchy
• 30 gm Dried Baby Scallop

Garnishing

• 4 Eggs
• 1 dash Light Soy Sauce To taste
• 1 dash Sesame Oil To taste
• 1 dash Pepper To taste
• 1 Sprig Spring Onion
• Crispy Shallots To Taste
• Tung Chai (Preserved Cabbage) To Taste

Instructions

PREPARATION METHOD

• Wash the rice and drain off the water. Add in the 2 tsp oil and 1/4 tsp salt to the rice and mix well and leave in the freezer until ready to cook. (do this a few hours beforehand.)
• Meanwhile, wash the pork and mince it. Add all the marinade ingredients to the pork and mix well, then set aside for later use.
• Wash the dried baby scallops, then soak them in half a bowl of boiling water until ready to cook.
• Wash the spring onions and slice them into small pieces.

COOKING METHOD

• Pour 1.5 litres of boiling water into a large pot, then add in all the scallops including the water used for soaking the scallops. Cover the pot with the lid, leaving a gap to prevent the water from bubbling over. Then bring it to a boil, and simmer for 15 mins over medium heat.
• After 15 minutes, turn the heat up to high. Once boiling vigorously, take out the rice from the freezer and pour it straight into the pot. Stir mixture until grains separate to prevent them from sticking to each other.
• Continue to cook over medium heat with lid half covered, stirring mixture constantly until grains begin to break up (about 20-30 mins).
• Once the rice starts to break up and the mixture becomes slightly starchy, turn heat to low and continue to stir constantly for another 10 mins. Add salt and light soy sauce to taste.
• Next, choose 1 of 3 alternatives to cook the meatballs in the congee. 

ALTERNATIVE A: COOK EACH BOWL SEPARATELY (40 MIN) (traditional method used in congee stalls but more time consuming)

• Scoop out one bowl of porridge into a small pot and set it over a medium flame.
• Next, take a spoonful of the minced pork mixture and shape it into a ball, then add it into the porridge. Continue to make 3-4 more meatballs and add them to the porridge stirring gently until the meat balls are cooked thoroughly (about 5-10 mins).
• Crack an egg into the serving bowl. Pour the hot porridge over the egg, ensuring the egg is completely submerged underneath the porridge.
• Repeat above until you have 4 bowls of congee, then add a dash of pepper, sesame oil and light soya sauce to each bowl.
• Next, top each bowl with the rest of the garnishing and serve hot.

ALTERNATIVE B: USE A THINNER CONGEE (15 MIN) (allows you to cook all the meatballs at one go)

• Add 3/4 -1 bowls of water to the congee ( depending on how diluted you want) and bring to a boil, stirring it constantly to prevent it from getting burnt.
• Next, take a spoonful of the minced pork mixture and shape it into a ball, then add it into the porridge. Continue to add more meatballs to the porridge until all the minced pork is used, stirring gently until the meat balls are cooked thoroughly (about 10-15 mins).
• Crack an egg into each of the 4 serving bowls, then pour the hot porridge over the egg, ensuring the egg is completely submerged underneath the porridge.
• Next, add a dash of pepper, sesame oil and light soya sauce to each bowl and top each bowl with the rest of the garnishing. Best served piping hot.

ALTERNATIVE C: MAKE SMALLER MEATBALLS (15 MIN) (allows you to cook all the meatballs at one go)

• Take half a spoonful of the minced pork mixture and shape it into a ball, then add it into the porridge. Continue to add more meatballs to the porridge until all the minced pork is used it, stirring gently until the meat balls are cooked thoroughly (about 10 mins).
• Crack an egg into each of the 4 serving bowls, then pour the hot porridge over the egg, ensuring the egg is completely submerged underneath the porridge.
• Next, add a dash of pepper, sesame oil and light soya sauce to each bowl and top each bowl with the rest of the garnishing. Best served piping hot.

Notes

COOKING TIPS

1. Wash and drain the rice and leave it in the freezer well ahead of time (a few hours before) until ready to cook. The moisture in the rice will expand upon freezing and the frozen rice is pour into the pot of hot boiling water immediately. The grain will crack and thus reduce the cooking time tremendously.
2. Keep stirring the porridge, especially when it turns a bit starchy. This is to prevent the porridge in the bottom of the pot from getting burnt and to further break up the rice grains.
3. If the porridge is too starchy, add a little more water depending on how thick or diluted you want your porridge to be.When the porridge cools down, it will become more starchy as the rice absorbs more water. 
4. Ensure the egg is at room temperature or it will not cook easily.
5. Stir gently when stirring the meatballs in the congee, or the meatballs will break up and disintegrate.

Read Also:  Thai Pineapple Fried Rice (Khao Phad Saparod)

ALTERNATIVES

1. Substitute the pork with chicken or beef if that is your preference.
2. 'Tung Chai' (preserved cabbage) can be added as a topping but you will need to control the amount as it is rather salty. Simply give the Tung Chai a rinse under the tap to get rid of any foreign particles and excess salt, then squeeze dry to get rid of the excess water before adding it into the porridge.
3. Here's the link to my Crispy Shallots recipe in case you need it.

WHICH ALTERNATIVE SHOULD I CHOOSE?

1. Cook the meatballs directly in the congee as this adds sweetness and flavour to the congee, but it is also tricky because it is hard for the heat to penetrate the starchy consistency of the congee.
2. My own preference and recommendation is Alternative A. Why? Firstly, I prefer to cook the meatballs in small batches to ensure the meat is cooked thoroughly. Secondly, it is easier for the heat to penetrate through the starchy congee when it is in small batches, as compared to a whole pot.

WANT A MORE LIQUIDY PORRIDGE? 

If you prefer a more liquid and smooth consistency...

1.  add more water and stir vigorously. The rice grains are already very soft, so they will easily break up as you stir.
2. An even easier way is to use a hand blender (choose one which is at least 600W and with stainless steel rods and blades to withstand the heat) to blend the congee after cooking, just before you add in the meatballs to cook.

Nutrition

Calories: 420kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 222mg | Sodium: 613mg | Potassium: 491mg | Vitamin A: 270IU | Vitamin C: 0.6mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 2.2mg