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Ginger Chicken Jook (Rice Porridge) Recipe

Ginger Chicken Jook (Rice Porridge)
Difficulty: Easy | Total Time: About 25 mins, plus 1 hr cooking time | Makes: 6 servings

Though endless versions of savory rice porridge (also known as congee) exist worldwide, I know this dish by its Cantonese name, jook. On Sundays my grandmother would make a big pot for the family, with chicken or pork, but sometimes beef, or even seafood. Feel free to add more garnishes like soy sauce, fish sauce, fried shallots, or roasted salted peanuts to spice up this dish.

For a vegetarian brown rice version of jook, check out our Brown Rice and Gai Lan Jook.

This recipe was featured as part of our Healthy Cooking photo gallery.

INGREDIENTS
  • 6 cups water
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 1/2 pounds bone-in chicken legs or thighs, skin removed and trimmed of excess fat
  • 1 cup long-grain white rice
  • 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, skin on and sliced into 4 pieces
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
  • Pinch freshly ground white pepper, plus more as needed
  • Coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
  • Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Place all ingredients except the cilantro and scallions in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook at a lively simmer, stirring occasionally, until the rice has completely broken down and the mixture is creamy, about 1 hour.
  2. Turn off the heat and remove the chicken to a cutting board. When it’s cool enough to handle, shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces, discarding the cartilage and bones. Return the chicken shreds to the jook. Stir to combine, taste, and season with additional salt and pepper as needed. Ladle into bowls and top with cilantro and scallions.
    Write a review | 18 Reviews
  • Ginger Chicken Jook (Rice Porridge) Recipe
    5

    Never had this until I made this recipe and I can't stop making it now. I have modified this quite a bit. I use four cups of chicken stock, two cups of coconut milk and two cups of water. I also add Star Anise and Thai Bird peppers. Now that it's winter it will continue to be a staple in the house and my two year old also takes it in her school lunch.

  • Ginger Chicken Jook (Rice Porridge) Recipe
    5

    Filipinos call this Arroz Caldo. Nothing beats is on a rainy day when you're feeling puny.

  • Ginger Chicken Jook (Rice Porridge) Recipe
    5

    DELICIOUS!!! This is so easy and a 'crave worthy dish" for sure. Simple to make (my husband did it) We used boneless, skinless chicken thighs more just for convenience and then just used kitchen shears to shred the meat.

  • Ginger Chicken Jook (Rice Porridge) Recipe
    5

    YUM! I love jook! I'm making jook right now, too. I'm trying it in a crock pot for the first time ever. It should come out fine. When I was growing up, we'd always make jook out of the Thanksgiving turkey carcass, so it remains a tradition in my own household. A few additions we've always made is to add a portion of dried orange peel while boiling the rice, and to add soy sauce and sesame oil along with the scallions and cilantro to each serving. Funnily enough, we also accompany our jook with plain potato chips!

  • Ok, I am making this as we speak. the only rice I had on hand was Basmati, which has a very firm tooth, so am hoping it breaks down ok. I also added in a bunch of fresh shiitake mushrooms. Smells divine, hope it turns creamy!

  • Hi everyone, As promised, we've posted a brown rice vegetarian version of jook, check out the recipe! http://www.chow.com/recipes/29368-brown-rice-and-gai-lan-jook-rice-porridge Christine Gallary, CHOW Test Kitchen

  • HPjoed - No need to cover the pan, you want the liquid to reduce a bit as it cooks. If you make the jook, would love to hear what you think about it. Christine Gallary, CHOW Test Kitchen

  • Do you cover the pan when you reduce the heat after bringing it to a boil?

  • It is traditional to serve this with various condiments--pickled vegetables, fermented dofu, 1000-year eggs, yow bing ( deep-fried chinese crullers), sesame oil, along with the cilantro.

  • qtprof - You can definitely make this with brown rice, but it will take longer to cook, about 30 to 45 minutes longer. The liquid will reduce more so that it will yield about 5 cups or 4 servings of jook. Take the chicken out after an hour so that it doesn't overcook and just stir the meat back in when the jook is done. We plan on posting a separate vegetarian brown rice jook recipe soon, will add a link here when it's up! Christine Gallary, CHOW Test Kitchen

  • Can you make jook with Brown rice?

  • I made this last night - it was delicious!

  • Kook is not Chinese word but Korean word meaning porridge

  • discojing - We've never tested this recipe in a rice cooker, but there are some rice cookers with a porridge setting that might work. Give it a whirl and let us know! Christine Gallary, CHOW Test Kitchen

  • One of things I miss about not living near the parents. I guess I need to seek out some salted fish & fermented eggs tomorrow. Perfect food for winter cold weather.

  • what about rice cooker directions?

  • Turkey Jook is the best thing in the world. After every turkey meal at ANY family member's house (mom, grandma, aunt, etc etc) we eat the turkey.. and than two hours later we DEVOUR the turkey jook.

  • this is the very first time I've ever made a comment on anything and it is very fitting that it be on Jook. I grew up on this and it is the definition of Chinese comfort food. It a tradition in our house thanksgiving weekend to use turkey to make it. It was my dad's thing to do. There's so much love in making jook. It brings back such precious memories.

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