{"id":172,"date":"2024-11-30T01:12:15","date_gmt":"2024-11-30T01:12:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sefovirtuve.lt\/?p=172"},"modified":"2024-11-30T01:12:15","modified_gmt":"2024-11-30T01:12:15","slug":"sampan-congee-%e8%89%87%e4%bb%94%e7%b2%a5-chinese-recipes-at-thehongkongcookery-com","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sefovirtuve.lt\/?p=172","title":{"rendered":"Sampan Congee \u8247\u4ed4\u7ca5 | Chinese Recipes at TheHongKongCookery.com"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Burrr\u2026.I\u2019m still feeling a wee bit of the chill of winter nipping at my toes these days, how about y\u2019all, dear readers? \u00a0When you\u2019re a bit cold inside and out there\u2019s nothing better than a warm soul soothing bowl of velvety congee chock full of all kinds of yummilicious bite sized edibles. \u00a0Comfort food all the way!<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve been on a kind of congee kick lately and our latest is this fabulous queen of congees, the Sampan Congee Tang Jai Jook \u8247\u4ed4\u7ca5, a creamy congee filled with delectable treasures from the sea and the land and then some. \u00a0The name ‘sampan congee’ comes from the many small boats, called sampans \u8247\u4ed4, that ply the many waterways of Guangzhou (Guangzhou is smack in the middle of a large delta area, FYI<\/i>) from whence is congee first emerged.<\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
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Sampan in Guangzhou\u00a0 (photo by Lai Afong circa 1880)<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Tracing all the way back to the Qing dynasty \u6e05\u671d, these sampans started to serve food to the folk seeking river pleasures.\u00a0 They created the sampan congee \u8247\u4ed4\u7ca5, a bowlful of the creamiest rice porridge chock full of both fresh and dried seafood, bits of the famous Cantonese roasted duck, crunchy peanuts, crisp and chewy fried dough bits.\u00a0 It really is the queen of congees and thus has been passed down to this day.\u00a0 It’s a congee that is hard to beat and amazing as a soul fortifying meal in one.<\/p>\n

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The first thing to do when making congee is to make a pot of basic congee.\u00a0 Basic congee is just white rice cooked until the grains are broken down and the resulting mixture is a lovely creamy rice infused porridge.\u00a0 Sometimes an extra ingredient or two added to basic congee for subtle adjustment of flavor or to help create extra creaminess.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Check out our basic congee recipe. \u00a0Note that congee takes time to cook down properly. \u00a0It\u2019s a good idea to do the big pot of basic congee the day\/night before and then the next day you can heat it up and throw together the sampan congee ingredients for a big and fun congee bash.<\/div>\n
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Once you\u2019ve got that basic congee under your belt it\u2019s time to gather the ingredients for sampan congee.\u00a0 We start with fresh seafood.\u00a0 The fish that is traditionally used is the same one used for all Cantonese style congee, the fresh water grass carp \u9bc7\u9b5a. \u00a0This fish has a tender smooth texture and won\u2019t fall apart when cooked.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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In Hong Kong you can find this fish sold fresh at all the supermarkets, as this fish is super popular here. \u00a0In other places I would look for it at the Asian grocery markets. \u00a0When buying make sure the fish is white is color and has absolutely no fishy smell.<\/p>\n

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The ingredients added to this congee are sliced to bite sized pieces first, so as to facilitate being able to get a bit of everything in one spoonful of the congee. \u00a0Therefore our fresh fish is sliced to this beautiful almost translucent thinness.<\/p>\n

How to slice to such thinness?\u00a0 It\u2019s a cook\u2019s trick and an easy one at that!\u00a0 To achieve slice the fish into 1\/4 inch slices. \u00a0Take each slice, lay down flat and further slice horizontally but not all the way through.\u00a0 Unfold and you\u2019ll have a beautifully thin slice of fish just like in the photo above.<\/p>\n

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Let’s pause here for a moment and talk about the two major methods used to combine ingredients with basic congee.\u00a0 The first method is called \u5373\u719f, translated as „immediately cooked” and is where boiling hot basic congee is ladled over either cooked ingredients or thin slices of ingredients that can cook quickly in the congee’s residual heat.\u00a0 We use this method for our sampan congee.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The second method is called \u751f\u6efe, translated as „raw boiled”, and is where the raw ingredients (usually sliced in larger pieces)<\/i> are boiled in the congee until cooked.\u00a0 This infuses the flavor of the cooked ingredients into the congee, making the congee more delicious.\u00a0 This method is considered more sophisticated.<\/p>\n

Okay, back to start building our sampan congee!\u00a0 Using the \u5373\u719f method we start layering with thinly sliced fish in each bowl along with slivers of ginger and curls of spring onion.<\/p>\n

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The next ingredient for sampan congee is deep fried fish maw \u70b8\u9b5a\u809a.\u00a0 Fish maw is the air bladder inside of fishes that allow them to be buoyant in the water.\u00a0 The kind we want is thinner types of fish maw that have been deep fried to puffiness.\u00a0 These lovely bits of spongy texture will soak up flavor and congee.<\/p>\n

You can find deep fried fish maw at HK supermarkets and wet markets.\u00a0 Outside of HK look for it at the asian grocery stores.<\/p>\n

To prepare deep fried fish maw boil it in water until softened.\u00a0 Let cool then squeeze water out.\u00a0 Then slice to desired size.<\/p>\n

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More treasure from the Seven Seas!\u00a0 We present the dried squid, \u4e7e\u9b77\u9b5a.\u00a0 Sun drying the squid intensifies the umami of the squidgy flavor and changes the texture to a lovely chewiness.\u00a0\u00a0<\/div>\n

To prepare for use rinse off if semi-dried and still flexible (better kind to buy<\/i>) and slice in thin strips.\u00a0 If the squid is the type that is dried hard then rehydrate until pliable and then slice.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Look for dried squid \u4e7e\u9b77\u9b5a at the stores that sell Chinese dried seafoods.\u00a0 There are usually some in every neighborhood in HK and also at the wet markets.\u00a0 In HK you can also visit the Dried Seafood Street in Sheung Wan where the whole street is lined with stores selling all kinds of dried seafood.\u00a0 Amazing place to stroll about on a sunny afternoon!<\/div>\n
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Chinese roasted duck\u00a0\u70e4\u9d28 is the only land meat added.\u00a0 It probably ended up in this congee because roasted duck is a traditional Cantonese speciality and therefore very available for those early sampan vendors as well as desirable to their congee clientele. \u00a0Also because everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, is better with roast duck!<\/p>\n

Buy cantonese roasted duck \u70e4\u9d28 at roasted meat shops in HK, called sui mei shops\u00a0\u71d2\u5473\u5e97.\u00a0 Again these shops are found in every neighborhood in HK.\u00a0 Also roasted meats are offered in many supermarkets.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

As with all the other added ingredients, thin bite sized pieces are the best for this congee so that you get a bit of everything with each spoonful of the congee.<\/p>\n

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We add the sliced fish maw, sliced dried squid and sliced roasted duck on top of the fish slices already in our serving bowl. \u00a0Looking pretty yummy, eh? \u00a0That’s all for the ingredients going inside our sampan congee.<\/p><\/div>\n

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At this point we’re ready to add the basic congee.\u00a0 Making sure your congee is nice and hot before ladling into the bowl.\u00a0 Stir gently to distribute ingredients evenly in the hot congee.\u00a0 Your sampan congee is now ready expect for the toppings.<\/p>\n

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Sampan congee toppings!\u00a0 The first is fried peanuts. \u00a0Sooo good! \u00a0Nutty and crunchy, these peanuts provide the perfect contrast to the creamy texture of the congee.<\/div>\n

You can sometimes find these peanuts selling at the Chinese barbequed meat shops, also known as sui mei shops \u71d2\u5473\u5e97.\u00a0 And sometimes at the congee shops \u7ca5\u5e97.\u00a0 I have also discovered it at some supermarkets near their roasted meat counters.\u00a0 It varies and you kinda need to be on the lookout for these nutty delights.<\/p>\n

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This second congee topping, fried dough sticks or youtiao\u00a0\u6cb9\u689d,\u00a0<\/span>you can buy from your local congee shop. \u00a0This deep fried dough is super light and airy on the inside but crunchy on the outside.\u00a0 It’s a bread made just for congee.\u00a0 Congee shops \u7ca5\u5e97 make these fresh everyday and will have them in a case in the front of the shop.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Youtiao are sliced into bite sized chunks and then dunked into the congee. \u00a0Part of the fun of the congee experience is the dunking!\u00a0 The youtiao absorbs the congee, making each bite a contrast of creamy and crunchy.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Tip:<\/i><\/b>\u00a0 If your fried dough stick has gotten a bit soft you can toast then for a couple of minutes and they will return to a just fried crispiness.<\/p>\n

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Out last topping is super cool and a specialty, again, of the Guangdong area. \u00a0Very close to the sea is Guangdong province so there are so many sea specialties! \u00a0This is the dried roe of the shrimp \u8766\u7c7d. \u00a0No idea how the heck they process these roe, it\u2019s so tiny! \u00a0But so darn yummy, these dried roe have an intense, slightly salty, shrimpy umami flavor.\u00a0\u00a0<\/div>\n
We\u2019ve used these before in one of our favorite noodles, Shrimp Roe Noodle, a classic Guangzhou noodle dish that’s out of the world delicioso.\u00a0 For this sampan congee, we use it to sprinkle over the congee as the final triumphant touch!<\/div>\n

This sampan congee \u8247\u4ed4\u7ca5 does take a wee bit of work but it’s really the most glorious of all the congees!\u00a0 Try it out and see if you don’t get swept off your feet!<\/p>\n

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Sampan Congee Recipe\u00a0<\/span><\/u><\/i><\/b>\u8247\u4ed4\u7ca5\u00a0<\/u><\/i><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

(4 servings)\u00a0 Prep time: 15 mins\u00a0 \u00a0Basic Congee cook time : 1 1\/2 hour<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

Ingredients:<\/span><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

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