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Century egg and pork congee
Pídàn shòuròu zhōu (皮蛋瘦肉粥): Cantonese congee with century egg and salted lean pork
Across Guangdong and in Hong Kong's congee houses, this is the morning order everyone knows: a silky congee with nuggets of salted lean pork and dark, jelly-like century egg, finished with ginger and spring onion and eaten with a crisp youtiao on the side. The pork is salted the night before, which firms it and seasons it to the middle. The usual mistake is adding the pork at the end in big lumps; it should simmer long enough to turn tender and reach 71 °C. Chef's tip: mash one of the century eggs into the congee as it cooks and save the other for the top, so the whole pot carries its rich, savoury flavour.
- Total time
- 95 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 tsp salt
- 5 ½ oz jasmine ricerinsed
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- 2 litres water
- 1 ⅛ in fresh gingerhalf in slices, half in fine shreds
- 2 century eggs (pidan)labelled lead-free, peeled and diced
- ½ tsp saltto taste
- ¼ tsp ground white pepper
- 2 spring onionsfinely sliced
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil (optional)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: The night before, rub 9 oz lean pork loin or tenderloin with 1 tsp salt, cover and keep in the fridge for 8–12 hours.
Step 2: Toss 5 ½ oz jasmine rice with 1 tsp vegetable oil. Bring 2 litres water and the sliced ⅝ in fresh ginger to the boil, add the rice and simmer, partly covered, for 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until the grains begin to break down.
45 minStep 3: Rinse the salted pork, then add it whole to the congee with half the diced 2 century eggs (pidan). Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring often, until the pork is cooked through to 160°F and the congee is smooth and thick.
20 minStep 4: Lift out the pork, shred it into thin strips with two forks and return it to the pot with the rest of the diced century egg. Simmer for 3 minutes, then season with ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp ground white pepper.
3 minStep 5: Ladle into bowls and top with the ginger shreds (⅝ in fresh ginger), 2 spring onions and a few drops of 1 tsp toasted sesame oil.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 20 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does century egg and pork congee take?
- About 95 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 80 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of jasmine rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of fresh ginger?
- ¼ tsp ground ginger per tbsp fresh (add it with the spices).
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