miso mushroom congee
+ join cookbook club next sunday!
Happy 2024 my squaaaad!!
How it’s going: I’m 50/50 on keeping up with my resolutions…a week in. I’ve developed a Real Housewives of NJ addiction. And I’m trying to eat more protein, but am struggling immensely. Oh and I’m also loving making clay magnets lol. I made a bunch as christmas gifts and need to make more, they’re so fun!!!!
And I feel very much in a hibernation element. But trying to get back in it because I do love winter cooking! It’s comforting and cozy, and I love spending hours on end for 1 meal (preferably a weekend when it’s snowing.) That is if we ever get snow in NYC </3 it’s been two days of a rain/snow mix - total tease.
Now, if you’re not familiar with congee - it’s a savory rice porridge that many cultures in Asia etc. share. The first time I had it was actually at a restaurant in Brooklyn that served bottomless congee for brunch (called Noods n’ Chill) I think it is such an underrated rice base, it’s the best when you’re feeling sick, or when you just need something ultimately warming. The best part is you can play around with the base itself and the toppings.
The last two days I’ve done:
miso mushrooms + soft boiled egg
@cabagges fish sauce teriyaki chicken (recipe here)
Some of my other favorite ways to have it is adding:
shredded chicken (homemade or rotisserie)
fried egg with chili crisp, sesame oil and heaps of scallion
And when you need something a little more ~neutral~ use water as your base, which is what I usually do because the toppings/aromatics always bring the flavor. But if you want more flavor, use chicken/veggie broth!
As for the type of rice to use: jasmine is popular, but you can use short grain japanese rice too. I personally prefer the japanese rice, especially this one. I’ve mentioned it before but it’s my absolute favorite rice ever, and so worth the price. I really recommend it if you enjoy eating rice, it’s subtly sweet and the perfect sticky texture. I’ve bought the 15 lb bag 5x now lol. Whatever rice you decide on, just don’t use basmati rice, it will not give what needs to be given.
congee base:
my ideal base with aromatics
1 cup of rice
10 cups of cold water
1” knob of ginger, cut into planks
2 garlic cloves, halved
5 dried shiitake mushrooms
salt + white pepper to taste
Rinse rice under cold water and drain about 2-3 times. In a ~3.5 qt pot (my dutch baby was the perfect size for this) bring water, garlic, mushrooms, ginger to a boil. Once boiling, add the rice and mix. Bring back to a boil and then semi cover with the lid. Gently simmer on lowish heat for about 40 min. It should cook slow to develop a nice silky and thick texture! At this point, if the rice looks like it’s beginning to break down/fall apart then: use a whisk, and vigorously mix for a few minutes until the rice pieces break down. If it doesn’t: continue simmering for another 15-20 minutes. If at any point the congee looks too thick, add some more water. I always end up adding more, about 1/2-1 cup. The water and cook time will vary depending on your rice and stove - so just judge based off the texture!
Once the rice is all broken down and the congee is nicely thickened to your desired consistency, add salt and white pepper to taste. It shouldn’t be salty, as it’s a neutral base for your toppings, so just add a pinch.
**Technically, it’s recommended not to mix the congee after the first boil, so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan, but my toxic trait is being unable to leave things alone so I stay mixing it periodically, making sure the bottom doesn’t stick and adding in more water when needed. Do as you will though lol.
miso mushrooms:
two bowls worth
2-3 cups of mushrooms (I used maitake, mini trumpets and baby bellas)
1.5 tsp white miso paste
1” piece of ginger, grated
1 tbsp soy sauce
small splash of rice vinegar
1 garlic clove, grated
salt + white pepper to taste
1 soft boiled egg, to top
scallion to garnish
sesame oil, to drizzle
chili crisp, to drizzle
In a small saucepan, add a drizzle of avocado oil. Heat on medium high heat until shimmering, then add mushrooms. Be careful to avoid splattering. Cook on medium high, until nicely browned, tossing occasionally to prevent burning. When the water in the pan is mostly evaporated and the mushrooms are nicely browned, lower the heat.
In a small bowl, mix together rice vinegar, soy sauce, miso, ginger and garlic. Add the sauce to the pan. Sautee for 2-3 min until the garlic and ginger have softened but are not browned. Lower heat if needed. Season with salt + pepper, but taste first as the miso is salty! Finish with a little drizzle of sesame oil.
Spoon mushrooms over the bowl of congee, add an egg half, and sprinkle with scallion. Add chili crisp, furikake and enjoooooyy!
cookbook club (!!!)
I’ve been talking about starting an online cookbook club for some time now but with the holidays the last few months, we just couldn’t figure out the best day to do it! But now that the storm has settled, I’m so excited to revisit it and have ourseleves a fun day of cooking and sharing the recipes we made!
I’m particular hyped for this book because I have heard such great things and nothing is better than baking on a sunday in the winter :’)
The Deets:
The Book: Snacking Bakes by Yossy Arefi - you can order here (non-affiliate link)
Where: Our Group Chat, linked here. The chat in unlocked with an upgraded subscription. You can download the Substack app for ease, and join from the Sunday Stack tab! I started a thread in the chat already, so pop in and say Hi if you’re joining!!
When: Sunday, January 14th, 1pm EST (feel free to start earlier or later in the day and share your progress ofc)
What: On Friday, January 12th we’ll all pick the recipe we are going to make and introduce ourselves in the group chat (I can’t wait to hear more about everyone!!!) Then come Sunday, we’ll share pictures of our progress, our thoughts on the recipes, and have lots of goodies to bring into the office, or to your friends on Monday <333
Best Sunday evaaaaaa, see you there!!
So excited about the book club!