Delicious and easy recipe: congee with fish

Chef Rosheen Kaul and illustrator Joanna Hu were born in China but grew up in Australia. Rather than holding on to their parents’ culinary traditions or assimilating into Australia’s cuisine(s), they took a new path and combined both cuisines. The new cookbook Chinese-ish is an ode to the merging of the two cultures and offers a wealth of inauthentic dishes, such as this congee with fish.

Rosheen: “For this dish, buy the freshest fish possible. In a recipe as simple as this, the quality of the fish will really stand out. I also advise against using freshwater fish, as they can sometimes taste a little earthy. Ling, cod or skrei have a more neutral flavour and are a better choice. My sister always ordered this dish at a Cantonese restaurant in Glen Waverley, a suburb of Melbourne, where we went after Chinese lessons on Saturday mornings. I watched her stir in a generous splash of chilli sauce and soy sauce, giving the milky-white surface an appetising golden-brown colour with little pools of chilli oil. Her congee turned out to be the perfect combination of silky rice, perfectly cooked white fish, spicy ginger and chilli oil. Perhaps not something for the purists, but absolutely delicious.”

How to make congee with fish

• Wash the rice thoroughly and rinse until the water runs clear.
• Bring the water to the boil in a large saucepan and add the rice. Stir and reduce the heat. Cook the rice for 45 minutes, until the grains burst open and dissolve into the water. Stir the congee during the last few minutes to break the rice grains down even further. Leave to stand for 10 minutes.
• Serve the congee hot, optionally sprinkled with a pinch of salt, white pepper and ginger. You can also serve congee as a side dish or with other toppings of your choice. Let your imagination run wild.
• Add the congee to a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the fish, turn off the heat and leave to stand with the lid on the pan for 10 minutes.
• Place the pan over medium heat, add the salt and simmer gently for 3 to 4 minutes. The fish should now be perfectly cooked.
• Divide the congee between four bowls. Sprinkle with the spring onion and ginger, drizzle with soy sauce and chilli oil, and serve.

Title: Chinse-ish
Author: Rosheen Paul & Joanna Hu
Price: €23,50
Publisher: Good Cook

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