Rainy day remedy: Scallop porridge
A dish so easy to eat and cook! This recipe takes away all burdens that could come with home cooking!
This dish was created by my dear husband, who loves the flavour of dried scallops he’ll eat them as a snack! One day, I wasn’t feeling well so he tried to make a dish that was nourishing yet easy to eat. The best part of this recipe is the fact that it holds an entire bag of leafy greens without compromising on taste!
Prep time: 2 minutes + at least 1 hour of soaking dried scallops
Cook time: 30 minutes, excluding shredded chicken topping
Ingredients
Handful of dried scallops, rinsed - we recommend this brand
Uncooked rice, washed
Water
(optional) Leafy greens, finely cut - we like chye sim for this recipe
(optional) Fried onion oil
(optional) Fresh cilantro and/or spring onions
(optional) Shredded chicken
Notes
You can also use overnight rice from the fridge, this shortens cooking time
Whether you’re using cooked or uncooked rice, the portion used in this recipe should be slightly less than if you were to eat it as rice. Porridge seriously balloons up in portion, don’t be fooled by the uncooked grains!
I did not include a set amount of water as cooking porridge is easy. If you wish for a less liquid consistency, simply cook it down. If you wish for a more runny texture, add more water. As long as your pot doesn’t go stiff, so keep watch and adjust the amount of water as needed.
I left the last 3 ingredients as optional, but it’s totally mandatory for us! But we totally understand that not everyone will be a fan of the same toppings as our family so feel free to customise your bowl:)
How we make shredded chicken - 500g chicken breast (boiled then shredded), 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp light soy sauce, (optional) white pepper
Method
Rinse dried scallops, then soak in hot water for at least an hour
When its time to cook, use scallop stock as the liquid for your rice grains to cook in. Add more plain water if needed.
Cook chicken breast in a separate pot on low-medium heat for 30 - 40 minutes if using it as topping
If in a pinch, you can steep the washed dried scallops in the pot for 10-20 minutes before adding rice grains in to cook
Cook until preferred porridge consistency is reached. Stir frequently to prevent sticking and to check consistency, add water as and when its needed.
Once porridge is cooked, season with fish sauce to taste
Add thinly cut leafy greens and immediately cut the heat! Stir well until vegetables are withered and shrunken - it should take only about a minute!
Serve and add desired toppings!
Notes
We honestly rarely soak our dried scallops for over an hour before cooking because we simply do not have the time. So go ahead with the ‘Steeping’ method if you’re short on time, we promise it will still be delicious!
Pre-soaking is just more common practice when using dried goods in Chinese cooking
