Cantonese Congee with Century Egg and Pork

Ingredients

• For the congee base
• 300 g broken rice (chuan mi), or whole-grain jasmine rice; broken rice produces a silkier result
• 1.5 litres good chicken stock
• 500 ml water
• 30 g fresh ginger, peeled, cut into thick slices
• For the pork marinade
• 200 g pork loin or pork fillet, sliced paper-thin against the grain
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• ¼ tsp ground white pepper
• To finish and serve
• 4 century eggs (pi dan), peeled, each cut into 6–8 wedges
• 20 g fresh ginger, peeled, finely julienned
• 2 you tiao (fried dough sticks), halved or roughly broken; served alongside
• 1 tbsp sesame oil, for dispensing at the table
• 4 spring onions, finely sliced

Method

1. 1
   Combine the broken rice, chicken stock, water, and sliced ginger in a large heavy pot. Bring to a vigorous boil over high heat, then reduce to the lowest possible simmer. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally to prevent the rice from catching, until the grains have completely dissolved into a smooth, cohesive porridge. The congee is ready when it coats the back of a spoon heavily and no distinct grain remains — it should taste lightly and cleanly of chicken stock and ginger.
2. 2
   While the congee simmers, combine the thin-sliced pork with the soy sauce, sesame oil, white pepper, and cornstarch. Mix well so every slice is coated. Keep refrigerated until the moment of service. The marinade is correct when the pork is lightly glossy and carries no excess liquid.
3. 3
   Remove the ginger slices from the congee. Season the porridge with salt if needed — it should carry a light, savoury depth from the stock, never bland and never aggressively salty. Bring the congee back to a scalding, active simmer immediately before ladling.
4. 4
   This is where the dish lives or dies. Ladle the congee into individual bowls at the highest possible temperature — it must be scalding hot. Immediately arrange the century egg wedges (6–8 per bowl) across the surface, then lay the marinated raw pork slices over the top in a single even layer. The residual heat of the congee cooks the pork gently to just-done within one to two minutes at the table. Do not add the pork in advance; it will overcook and toughen before the bowl reaches the guest.
5. 5
   Finish each bowl with a small pile of ginger julienne and a scattering of spring onion. Set sesame oil on the table for each diner to dispense. Serve the you tiao alongside — broken into sections — so the diner can dip the crisp dough into the hot congee for textural contrast. The bowl is complete when the pork has turned from translucent pink to an even, pale, just-cooked white.