Lemongrass Scented Congee Recipes

LEMONGRASS-SCENTED CONGEE

Steps:

• Use the dull side of a heavy knife to press down on lemongrass and cerush slightly.
• Combine lemongrass, water, rice, rice wine, ginger, salt and lime leaf in a 4L Dutch oven.
• Place over high heat and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Cover and reduce heat to low; let simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until the consistency of porridge.
• Stir often during last 1/2 hour of cooking to prevent sticking.
• Discard lemongrass pieces and lime leaf. The congee will continue to thicken as it stands, so adjust consistency by adding extra hot water if necessary.
• Tolp with preferred garnishes and serve warm. Reheats well. (add a little hot water as needed to adjust the consistency).
• VARIATIONS: For savoury shrimp congee: stir in 2 cups cooked, diced shrimp and onion and top with sliced green onion and chopped peanuts.
• For a sweet coconut congee: Stir in 1 cup toasted, sweetened shredded coconut, 2 tablespoons honey and top with thinly sliced mangoes.

LEMONGRASS CONSOMMé

Steps:

• Cut off and discard top of each lemongrass stalk, leaving 6-inch stalk, then smash stalks with side of large heavy knife. Cut each stalk in half crosswise.
• In 8-quart stock pot over moderately high heat, combine all ingredients and 3 quarts cold water. Bring to simmer, skimming froth, then reduce heat to moderately low and gently simmer, uncovered, skimming froth occasionally, 45 minutes.
• Remove chicken, reserving for another use, then strain consommé through fine-mesh sieve into large bowl, discarding solids. If using consommé right away, skim off and discard any fat. If making ahead, cool consommé completely, uncovered, then chill, covered, and discard any solidified fat. (Consommé can be chilled up to 3 days or frozen 1 month.) Rewarm consommé before serving by bringing to gentle simmer in large pot over moderately high heat.)

LEMONGRASS-SCENTED COCONUT RICE

Steps:

• 1. Place the rice in a 1-1/2- or 2-quart saucepan. Fill the pot halfway with cold water. If any rice hulls or small twigs float to the surface, scoop them aside with your hand and discard them. Gently swirl your fingers through the rice until the water becomes cloudy with the rice's surface starch, about 20 seconds. Be careful not to massage the rice aggressively-you don't want to crack or break the grains. Allow the rice to settle for a few seconds. Tilt the pot over a sink and drain out all the water, cupping the rice with your hand to prevent it from spilling out of the pot. Repeat this process with three more changes of water. The water after the first 2 rinses will be quite cloudy; by the fourth rinse, it will be much less so. The water need not run completely clear by the final rinse-slightly cloudy is fine. Leave the rinsed rice in the pot.
• 2. To the rinsed rice, add the tied lemongrass, the cooking water, the coconut milk, the salt, and the daun salam leaves (if using). Stir well to combine, making sure that the lemongrass stalks and daun salam leaves are submerged in as much of the rice as possible.
• 3. Place the pot over high heat and, stirring constantly with a large spoon to prevent the rice at the bottom of the pot from scorching or burning, bring the liquid to a rolling, noisy boil. Allow the rice to boil vigorously for fifteen seconds, continuing to stir constantly. (It's essential that you stir constantly, otherwise the fats and proteins in the coconut milk will cause the rice at the bottom of the pot to become gummy and stick together, which will ultimately lead to the final dish having a scorched or burned bottom layer.) Immediately reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting and cover the pot tightly with the lid. Continue cooking for 15 minutes. Don't be tempted to lift or remove the lid during this time-you'll lose essential cooking steam if you do.
• 4. Remove the pot from the heat and allow the rice to continue to steam, covered, away from the heat for an additional 10 minutes.
• 5. Open the pot and discard the lemongrass and daun salam leaves. Fold the rice over gently with a spoon, distributing the aromatic flavors which may be concentrated in pockets in the rice. Transfer the rice to a deep serving bowl, fluffing it gently with a fork and lifting it into a high, peaked mound. Serve hot or warm. (If serving the rice warm, keep it covered with aluminum foil until then.)

CONGEE WITH VEGETABLES AND FRESH HERBS

Steps:

• Drain the rice and place it in a large pot with the sweet potato. Cut the lemongrass stalks in half horizontally and add them to the pot. Add the stock and 1 tablespoon salt and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat and simmer, covered, for 35 minutes.
• Remove the lid and increase the heat so the rice is bubbling. Remove the lemongrass and discard. Simmer, stirring frequently to prevent it from sticking, until the rice is tender and has the consistency of a thick porridge, about 15 minutes more. Add the ginger in the last 5 minutes of cooking.
• Heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Add the bok choy and cook until tender and wilted, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and remove from the heat.
• To serve, put the bok choy, scallions, cilantro, and nuts into small bowls. Ladle the porridge into bowls and let diners garnish it with the vegetables, nuts, soy sauce, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes.
• We know that brown rice has more nutrients than white rice, but aside from health concerns, white rice is put through many stages of processing, all requiring fossil fuels and chemicals. First, the germ and bran are removed to extend the length of time the rice can be stored; then synthetic vitamins are added back in; and finally, the rice is polished with water, glucose, or the mineral talc, which is known to cause stomach cancer. The taste of brown rice can take some getting used to, but cooked with fragrant seasonings like the ones in the congee recipe, it can please even the pickiest of palates.