Thanksgiving Turkey Congee

Thanksgiving Turkey Congee

My dad used to make large Thanksgiving dinners, and the morning after, we would enjoy delicious turkey congee. Congee is a Chinese rice porridge traditionally eaten for breakfast or brunch, though I personally enjoy it at any time. It’s also great for digestion and offers excellent health benefits. Although I’ve been eating congee since I was a baby, it remains the ultimate comfort food for me.

Ingredients

• Ingredients:
• ¼ cup dried scallops
• 3 dried black mushrooms
• 1 ½ cups uncooked short-grain white rice
• ½ leftover turkey carcass, broken into pieces
• 9 cups water
• Toppings:
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• ¼ cup thinly sliced fresh ginger
• ¼ cup raw peanuts
• 2 tablespoons dried red onion
• 8 dashes sesame oil
• ground white pepper to taste

Directions

1. Place dried scallops and dried mushrooms in a bowl, then pour hot water over them to cover and let them rehydrate for about 10 minutes. Rinse and drain the rice; set it aside.
2. Separate the meat from the bones of the turkey carcass and set it aside. Place the bones and 9 cups of hot water in a large stockpot and bring to a boil. Drain the mushrooms and scallops, squeezing out any excess water. Break the scallops into smaller pieces and slice the mushrooms thinly.
3. Stir the scallops, mushrooms, rice, and turkey meat into the stockpot. Reduce the heat to let the congee simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally for a smooth texture, until the rice is tender and the congee thickens, about 2 hours. For a thinner congee, stir in hot water a few tablespoons at a time.
4. Ladle the congee into bowls and top each with cilantro, green onions, ginger, peanuts, red onion, sesame oil, and white pepper as desired.