Betty’s Butternut Squash Congee

Serves 2-4. Recipe adapted with permission from bettysliu.com.

Congee, a Chinese savory rice pudding or porridge, is often served for breakfast but is also  wonderful as the star of a cozy supper or an alternative to soup. In this version, Betty adds butternut squash and recommends adding her Chile Crisp Dust for extra flavor dimension.

Note: Soaking the rice and freezing it shortens the cooking time. If you decide that you’d like to make congee regularly, rinse and soak a whole pound, then parcel it into ¾ cup packets (the rice swells with soaking), and freeze. (It will keep frozen for a couple of months.) You can peel and cut the butternut up to two days ahead; keep it tightly covered in the fridge until ready to use. Congee can be served thick-but-soupy or more porridge-like; you can control for thickness by how long you continue to cook the congee after adding the broth.

The recipe calls for regular butternut squash, but, if you can find it, use the Honeynut variety for its beautiful color and rich flavor. 

½ cup (100g) short-grain rice, such as Aborio
1 smallish butternut squash
2 slices fresh ginger
¼ teaspoon sea salt, more to taste
½ teaspoon Betty Liu’s Chile Crisp Dust, plus more for garnish
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
Pepper, to taste
2 scallions, sliced diagonally, white and green parts

Prep the rice  Put the rice into a bowl and add cold water to cover it by an inch or two. Swish the rice with your hand, then drain in a sieve and return the rice to the bowl. Repeat once more, then add cold water to the rice and let it soak for 30 minutes. Drain the rice thoroughly, transfer it to a container or freezer bag. Freeze overnight.

Make the congee  Peel the squash and slice half of it into thin rounds, about ⅛-inch thick. Cut the rounds into six or eight pieces — you need about 2 cups (300g).

Put 3 cups of water into a large saucepan set over medium-high heat. When the water boils, add the frozen rice, squash slices, ginger, and salt. Stir once gently then let the mixture come back to the boil before reducing the heat to medium-low. Cover the pan and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the rice sticking — the rice will be mostly cooked and the squash very tender at this point. Uncover the pan, add the broth and Chile Crisp Dust, cook for an additional 10 minutes or until the squash is falling apart and the congee is at your preferred thickness.

Taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed.