Top this comforting congee with any holiday leftovers you have in your fridge
Ingredients
1 cup medium or long-grain white rice
8 cups water
1 (1-inch) piece ginger
3 cloves garlic
1 medium scallions
1 cup cornbread
4 ounces cooked ham
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt
Ground white pepper
1/4 cup Chinese pork floss (also known as pork sung)
Toasted sesame oil, for drizzling
Instructions
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 400ºF.
Place 1 cup white rice in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cold water until the water runs mostly clear. Place the rice in a large saucepan and add 8 cups water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Meanwhile, peel and thinly slice a 1-inch piece of ginger. Peel and thinly slice 3 garlic cloves. Thinly slice 2 medium scallions on a slight diagonal, keeping the white and green parts separate. Reserve the green parts for garnish.
When the congee is boiling, reduce the heat as needed to maintain a brisk simmer. Add the ginger, garlic, and scallion whites. Stir to combine. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally and making sure to scrape to the bottom of the saucepan, until very creamy and thickened, 30 to 35 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the toppings.
Cut up cornbread into pieces no larger than a small crouton (about 1/2 inch) until you have 1 cup. Place the cornbread, including any crumbs, on a baking sheet and spread out into an even layer. Bake until the pieces are golden-brown and the crumbs are deep golden-brown, 7 to 9 minutes.
Cut 4 ounces cooked ham into small dice (about 1 cup). Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat until shimmering. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and starting to pop like popcorn, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
When the congee is ready, taste and season with salt and white pepper as needed. Serve garnished with the cornbread croutons, ham, pork floss, and reserved scallion greens. Drizzle lightly with toasted sesame oil.
