Pork Meatball Congee with Dried Scallops

Method21 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Wash and drain the 1¼ cups dry rice. Mix with its separate 2 tsp oil and ¼ tsp salt, cover and put in the freezer a few hours before cooking, until the rice is frozen. Keep frozen until step 6.

   Uses 1¼ cups dry rice · 2 tsp oil, for rice · ¼ tsp salt, for rice · Clean water, for washing rice

2. 2

   Step 2: Mince the cleaned 350 g lean pork without rinsing it. Mix with ¼–½ tsp marinade salt, 2 tsp light soy sauce, ½ tsp cornstarch, the marinade dash of pepper and its 2 tsp oil. Cover and refrigerate until the chosen meatball route; keep it chilled while the congee base cooks.

   Uses 350 g lean pork, to mince · ¼–½ tsp salt, for pork marinade · 2 tsp light soy sauce, for pork marinade · ½ tsp cornstarch (corn flour), for pork marinade · A dash of pepper, for pork marinade · 2 tsp oil, for pork marinade

3. 3

   Step 3: Wash the 30 g dried baby scallops and drain. Soak them in half a bowl of boiling water until softened, keeping both the scallops and their soaking water ready for step 5.

   Uses 30 g dried baby scallops · Clean water, for washing dried scallops · ½ bowl boiling water, for soaking dried scallops

4. 4

   Step 4: Wash and drain the spring onion (1 sprig) and slice into small pieces. If using Tung Chai, rinse a little preserved cabbage and squeeze it dry; keep it separate from the spring onion. Have ready crispy shallots available if wanted.

   Uses 1 sprig spring onion · Clean water, for washing spring onion and optional cabbage · Tung Chai (preserved cabbage), to taste

5. 5

   Step 5: Pour the measured 1½ l boiling fresh congee water into a large pot. Add all the softened scallops and their soaking water from step 3. Bring back to a boil, then simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes with the lid ajar so the pot does not boil over.

   Add frozen rice · 15 minUses 1½ l fresh water, for congee · Scallops and retained soaking liquid, excluding the earlier washing water

6. 6

   Step 6: After step 5, increase the heat until the scallop broth boils vigorously. Add the frozen seasoned rice from step 1 straight from the freezer and stir until the grains separate.

   Uses Simmered scallops and broth · Seasoned frozen rice only, excluding discarded washing water

7. 7

   Step 7: Cook the rice and scallop mixture from step 6 over medium heat with the lid half open, stirring constantly so it does not stick. Check from 20 minutes within the author’s 20–30-minute guide, until the grains soften and begin to break up.

   Check breaking rice grains · 20 minUses Frozen rice added to scallop broth

8. 8

   Step 8: Once the grains in step 7 begin to break up, reduce the heat to low and keep stirring constantly for another 10 minutes. Season to taste with the separate congee-adjustment salt and light soy sauce. Add a little optional extra water only if too starchy.

   Choose meatball route · 10 minUses Soft breaking rice and scallop congee · Salt, to taste in the cooked congee · Light soy sauce, to taste in the congee base · A little extra water, only if the congee is too starchy

9. 9

   Step 9: Choose exactly one route: A cooks one bowl at a time in steps 10–14; B makes thinner whole-pot congee in steps 15–18; C uses smaller whole-pot meatballs in steps 19–21. Start each route with the congee from step 8 and refrigerated pork mixture from step 2. After serving the selected route, stop and skip the others.

10. 10

    Step 10: Route A only: scoop one bowl of congee from step 8 into a small pot over medium heat. Leave the rest of the base hot in the large pot for the remaining bowls.

    Uses One bowl; remaining congee stays in the large pot

11. 11

    Step 11: Route A only: take a spoonful of the chilled pork mixture from step 2, form a ball and add it to the small pot from step 10. Add another 3–4 spoonful-shaped meatballs as the author guide. Simmer gently for about 5–10 minutes, checking from 5 minutes until the centres reach 71°C; continue if needed.

    Check first-bowl meatballs · 5 minUses First bowl of hot congee · Spoonfuls for this bowl; remaining raw mixture stays refrigerated

12. 12

    Step 12: Route A only: crack one refrigerated egg into the hot congee with fully cooked meatballs from step 11. Keep over gentle heat until the white and yolk are set and the egg reaches 71°C, then transfer this first portion to a serving bowl.

    Uses First bowl of congee with fully cooked meatballs · 1 egg, for the first bowl

13. 13

    Step 13: Route A only: repeat steps 10–12 for the remaining three bowls using the remaining congee from step 8, chilled pork mixture from step 2 and three eggs. Cook each meatball batch to 71°C before adding its egg, and cook each egg until set and 71°C. Keep raw pork refrigerated until its turn and keep finished bowls hot for immediate serving. Keep any unused pork mixture covered and refrigerated for separate cooking.

    Uses Finished first bowl of congee and cooked egg · Congee left after the first bowl · Mixture left after the first-bowl draw · 3 eggs, one for each remaining bowl

14. 14

    Step 14: Route A only: season the four finished bowls from step 13 with pepper, sesame oil and light soy sauce to taste. Add the prepared spring onion from step 4, optional ready crispy shallots and optional prepared Tung Chai. Serve hot, then stop; skip routes B and C.

    Uses Four finished bowls only, excluding any unused raw pork mixture · A dash of pepper per bowl, to taste · A dash of sesame oil per bowl, to taste · Light soy sauce, to taste at serving · Spring onion only, excluding washing water and optional cabbage · Ready crispy shallots, to taste · Cabbage only if prepared, excluding washing water and spring onion

15. 15

    Step 15: Route B only: add ¾–1 bowl of extra water to all the congee from step 8, according to the desired thinness. Bring to a boil while stirring so it does not stick. Skip this action if using A or C.

    Uses Congee base for route B · ¾–1 bowl water, only for route B

16. 16

    Step 16: Route B only: shape all the chilled pork mixture from step 2 into spoonful-sized meatballs and add to the thinner boiling congee from step 15. Simmer gently for about 10–15 minutes, checking from 10 minutes until the meatball centres reach 71°C; stir gently and continue if needed.

    Check route-B meatballs · 10 minUses Thinner route-B congee · Complete chilled marinated pork mixture

17. 17

    Step 17: Route B only: crack the four refrigerated eggs into the hot congee with fully cooked meatballs from step 16. Maintain gentle heat until all whites and yolks are set and the eggs reach 71°C, then divide among four serving bowls.

    Uses Thinner congee with fully cooked meatballs · 4 eggs, one per bowl

18. 18

    Step 18: Route B only: season the four cooked congee bowls from step 17 with pepper, sesame oil and light soy sauce to taste. Add the prepared spring onion from step 4, optional ready crispy shallots and optional prepared Tung Chai. Serve hot, then stop; skip route C.

    Uses Four finished route-B congee bowls with cooked eggs · A dash of pepper per bowl, to taste · A dash of sesame oil per bowl, to taste · Light soy sauce, to taste at serving · Spring onion only, excluding washing water and optional cabbage · Ready crispy shallots, to taste · Cabbage only if prepared, excluding washing water and spring onion

19. 19

    Step 19: Route C only: use half-spoonfuls of all the chilled pork mixture from step 2 to make smaller meatballs. Add to the hot congee from step 8 and simmer gently for about 10 minutes, checking that the meatball centres reach 71°C; stir gently and continue if needed.

    Check smaller meatballs · 10 minUses Congee base for route C · Complete chilled marinated pork mixture

20. 20

    Step 20: Route C only: crack the four refrigerated eggs into the hot congee with fully cooked small meatballs from step 19. Maintain gentle heat until all whites and yolks are set and the eggs reach 71°C, then divide among four serving bowls.

    Uses Congee with fully cooked smaller meatballs · 4 eggs, one per bowl

21. 21

    Step 21: Route C only: season the four cooked congee bowls from step 20 with pepper, sesame oil and light soy sauce to taste. Add the prepared spring onion from step 4, optional ready crispy shallots and optional prepared Tung Chai. Serve hot and stop. For any selected route, cool leftovers promptly in shallow containers and refrigerate at 4°C or below.

    Uses Four finished route-C congee bowls with cooked eggs · A dash of pepper per bowl, to taste · A dash of sesame oil per bowl, to taste · Light soy sauce, to taste at serving · Spring onion only, excluding washing water and optional cabbage · Ready crispy shallots, to taste · Cabbage only if prepared, excluding washing water and spring onion