Congee (rice porridge) is a hearty comfort food. Here are three old recipes with chicken and with pork ribs. Proportions of rice and water are not given but typically one would use 6-7 cups of water to one cup of raw rice.

rice
water
2 pieces of cinnamon (the size of 2 nibs)
3 spring onions tied in a knot
1 tender chicken, 1½ – 2 lb | 680-900g
8oz | 220g raw Chinese ham
a little salt to taste

Wash the rice, put in a large pot and add water, cinnamon, string onions, chicken and raw ham. Bring to the boil, then simmer until all is quite tender and the rice is quite soft and starchy.

Remove the bunch of spring onions and the cinnamon. Break the chicken in pieces and cut the ham in thin strips if possible. The liver and gizzard are also to be cut in thin strips.

Do not serve the neck, backbone or breast bones of the chicken.

1 lb | 450g pork rib, cut in 1″ lengths
rice
water
balichão
1 tsp lard
1 tsp salt
½ lb | 220g kai choi (Mustard green)

Marinade the ribs in the salt for about a couple of days as it will taste better on the third day. Wash the salt off the ribs a little, put in a pan with the rice and water, bring to the boil and simmer till all is quite tender.
Fry the balichão in hot lard, then add the kai choi cut in thin slanting slices, fry till half tender and add to the canje. Simmer for 10-20 mins. and it will be ready to serve.

1 lb | 450g pork spare ribs, seasoned with salt and pepper
8 oz | 220g lb pork, washed and minced with a handful of chong choi (a pickled Chinese vegetable available from Asian groceries)
½ tsp of light soy sauce
½ lb washed livers, cut in fine slices and seasoned with salt and pepper
1 sprig of coriander
2-3 spring onions, rolled and tied
1 tbsp ginger, sliced extremely finely
4 eggs

Mince pork and chong choi with ½ tsp soy sauce and roll into small meat balls.

Sauté spring onions and pieces of pork spare ribs.

Add water – about 2 soup ladles per bowl of congee. Cook until it reaches the consistency needed in congee (that of thick cream, but not too thick).

Scald the pork balls, liver and eggs with boiling water and add to the congee.

If desired, add a handful of cooked peanuts.

Eat with yau-chau kwai (deep-fried pastry available from Chinese grocers).

rice
water
2 ching choi Cantonese salt cabbage, well washed and chopped very fine
5 spring onions, chopped
½ tsp flour
4 dsp soy sauce
1 lb | 450g minced pork
8oz | 220g pork liver, sliced thin
salt and pepper to taste
1 small bunch of fresh coriander

Boil the rice in water, then simmer gently till the rice is quite soft and the congee (canje) rather thick. Add half the spring onions and ching choi.

Mix the other half of the spring onions and ching choi, 2dsp of soy sauce, ½ tsp flour, salt and pepper with the minced pork. With a teaspoon, mould into small balls, drop into the canje and cook for 20 mins.

Just before serving, add the liver which will be cooked when the colour changes and it is no longer red inside. Do not boil the liver or it will turn hard.

Break a good fresh egg into each serving bowl and put 2-3 ladles of the canje on top, being careful not to break the egg. (With hot canje the egg will be cooked.

Serve with a spring of Chinese celery in each bowl. A few drops of chi ma yao can be added as well. Serve with yau chau kwai (Chinese deep-fried pastry that is readily obtainable from Chinese grocers).