In the world of Vietnamese cuisine, chicken congee, also known as cháo gà, is arguably the most comforting dish one can eat. As of lately, we definitely need this level of culinary comfort in our lives (2021 is no joke). I approach my chicken congee the way I approach most of my Vietnamese dishes involving chicken broth. I level up by adding an extra layer of complexity to the broth by charring the veggies in my broth base. Yes it’s not the traditional way to make chicken congee, but when it comes to the kitchen, experimentation is key to becoming a good cook, and I’m all about breaking the rules. Ginger, garlic, and onion are charred on the surface to give an otherwise plain broth a little extra oomph. Normally we do this with phở, but wouldn’t it be special if we did it with congee? Note that you can skip this step if you are short on time, or have little patience. The thing about an amazing chicken congee is that it requires patience and time though. The best dishes do. There is nothing that compares to a homemade broth prepared with thoughtfulness, especially when they are simple dishes. If you have the palate, you appreciate the complexities a lot more. Now the only shortcut I take when making chicken congee is that I don’t boil a whole chicken to make the broth. I prefer dark meat as my topping (juicier, more flavor IMO), so I purchase chicken thighs (bone and skin on). It also makes the broth a lot easier to handle, but that’s not why I do it. Feel free to boil a whole chicken (offal removed), or use white meat only if you prefer. Just make sure you leave the bone and skin on so that the broth gets its bone-rich flavor as it develops. Finally, lets talk about toppings. Chicken congee is nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing without Vietnamese coriander (rau răm), slivered scallions, freshly ground pepper, a squeeze of lime, and you guessed it—fresh fried shallots. So make sure you don’t skip out on all 5 of these. I also like to add a small dash of Maggi seasoning right before eating (even though it really doesn’t need it). So ladies and gents, I present to you my Vietnamese Chicken Congee. Bon appétit!

VIETNAMESE CHICKEN CONGEE (CHÁO GÀ)

Degree of difficulty: 2 (on a scale of 1-5)

Preparation + cooking: 2 hours

  YOU’LL NEED

• Cheesecloth + string

• A grill wire rack or rack and pan (if using a handheld torch) for charring

• A large stockpot

 INGREDIENTS (serves 4-6 people)

• 4 lbs of chicken thighs, skin bone on (I used two packages of 4 thighs/package)

• 15 cups of water

• ¾  cup of sweet rice, washed and strained

• ¾  cup of short grain rice, washed and strained

note: you can also use brown rice if you are being health conscious--and if you are, I recommend pre-soaking it for a few hours before hand, as brown rice takes longer to cook.

•  One 4-5” piece of ginger, peeled

• 2 large yellow onions

• 1 head of garlic, with the bottom third of it sliced off crosswise

•  9 black peppercorns

• 1 TBS chicken stock powder

• 1 TBS fish sauce

• 1 TBS salt

• 3 TSP sugar

• Lime wedges

• Vietnamese Coriander (rau răm) 

• Fresh crispy fried shallots

• Scallions (the lower 2”), rinsed and sliced into slivers

 DIRECTIONS

1.  Char your onions, ginger, and the exposed part of your garlic using your gas stove or a handheld butane torch. If you are using your gas stovetop to char, I recommend using a round grill wire rack (see photo above). I use this rack all the time for charring. If you are using a handheld torch, I recommend torching over a baking rack on top of a sheet pan. You want to char until onions, ginger, and garlic are at least 60% charred, flipping over and rearranging with tongs carefully when some sides have blackened. When you are done, set them aside in a bowl to cool, and then using cheesecloth and string, tie them (make sure to include your peppercorns) into a pouch. This keeps the charred skin from floating around in the broth, and keeps the broth clean and clear, and will save you time from fishing around for ingredients later.

2.  Begin blanching your chicken in boiling water and a 1 TBS of salt. Remove the chicken from the pot, discard the water, and set aside. 

3.  Using a large stockpot, add 15 cups of hot water, your pouch of onions, ginger, and garlic, and peppercorn, and your chicken thighs, and bring the heat to a full boil. Then reduce the heat to a medium-low, cover, and cook for 1 hour. While the broth is cooking, skim off any crud that rises to the surface, making sure to keep at least 50% of the chicken fat (that rises to the top) in the broth (this gives it more depth and flavor).

4.  Remove your chicken thighs and allow them to cool for about 20 minutes. Once they are cool, you can shred the chicken with your hands, removing the bones and skin, and non-meaty excess parts. Store the chicken until you’re ready to eat.

5.  With your heat still on medium-low, stir in your short grain and sweet rice. Cook for about 20 minutes, stirring every once in a while to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning. After 20 minutes, remove from heat, allowing the residual heat to continue cooking the rice into a nice porridge like texture.

6.  Add in 1.5 TBS chicken stock powder, 1 TBS salt, 1 TBS of fish sauce, and 3 TSP sugar. Give it a nice stir to blend all of the seasonings well.

7.  Ladle the congee in a bowl, top with the shredded chicken, Vietnamese coriander leaves, slivered scallions, a couple grinds of pepper, and last but not least, fried shallots. Squeeze with a small wedge of lime for an extra punch of flavor. Add a dash of Maggi seasoning if desired.

I’ve been super busy this week prepping for the Lunar New Year, which falls on Friday, February 12th. This year we are having some friends over to celebrate the Year of the Ox. The Year of the Ox is said to bring success in business, prosperity, and wellness to all of the signs. This particular Ox year (the metal element) is also considered positive for career advancements. Since I am my mother’s daughter, I definitely believe in all these things. I am not preparing a traditional meal this year, but am making a handful of my go-to favorites, and for the first time ever, will be serving my mom’s recipe for seafood/crab bánh canh. Bánh Canh is a thick noodle soup made with delicious tapioca noodles. I will be posting the recipe for my mom’s seafood/crab bánh canh next week. Also on the menu (and this week’s featured recipe): gỏi gà, known as Vietnamese Chicken salad. This is one of my favorite Vietnamese appetizers. I love the cool crispy texture, and the crunchiness of the toppings in tandem. The combination of all of the ingredients is *chef’s kiss*. There are so many different versions of gỏi gà out there, and they’re all delicious. I prefer mine on the simpler side, with these gorgeous tones of purples (from the cabbage and red onion) and vibrant greens (from the herbs). I live for the aesthetic, what can I say? Just as important as the salad itself is the dressing to drench it in. I spent a whole afternoon perfecting my dressing, as I found the recipes that I looked at online were just standard Vietnamese dipping sauce/nước chấm recipes. I have a favorite spot in Houston that makes the most divine dressing for their chicken salads, and I’ve been chasing after a similar taste since. The dressing must have a sweet and lime-ey element that makes the salad pop in flavor. No need for extra ginger or garlic, as I feel like too many flavors can be competing and distracting. You have to get the right balance. I think I got this right! Wishing you all a very Happy Lunar New Year, filled with prosperity, good health, and love. Chúc Mừng Năm Mới!

VIETNAMESE CHICKEN SALAD ( Gỏi Gà )

Degree of difficulty: 1½ (on a scale of 1-5)

Preparation time: 30 min for salad and dressing preparation

Cooking time: 45 min - 1 hour for the chicken

YOU’LL NEED

•  A large slicing peeler (optional) to thinly sliced the cabbage. If you don’t have one, thinly slicing with a knife is also an option.

•  A 5.5 quart (or similar size) stockpot to poach the chicken

• A medium mixing bowl or jar for the dressing/sauce

•  A large mixing bowl to toss the salad and serve

INGREDIENTS (serves 4-5 people)

 FOR THE CHICKEN

• 1 pound package of chicken thighs on the bone (4 pack)

•  2” Piece of ginger, peeled and bruised

• 1 small onion, peeled, with outer layer charred (charring is completely optional, but it always adds a smoky depth to the broth, and I do this with any dish that requires a broth, especiallyphở (Vietnamese noodle soup) and cháo gà (Vietnamese congee/porridge).

 FOR THE SALAD

• 1 small green cabbage, thinly sliced

• ¼ of a small red cabbage, thinly sliced

• ¼ small red onion, thinly sliced

• ½ cup fresh mint leaves

• ½ cup rau răm (Vietnamese coriander leaves)

• 2 Thai chilies, seeds removed, thinly sliced 

• ½ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

• Crispy fresh fried shallots (to top finished salad with), see recipe for crispy fried shallots here.

• Dried roasted peanuts (also to top finished salad with)

 FOR THE DRESSING

• 5 TBS pure anchovy fish sauce

• 3 TBS lime juice

• 4 TBS sugar (NOTE: if you are being health conscious and using Stevia in the Raw, 1 TBS = 1.5 packets of Stevia. For 4 TBS, you will need roughly 6 packets, but I recommend adding the sugar in increments to get the right balance)

• 1 cup hot water

• 1-2 Thai red chilies, seeds removed, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS

1.  Bring 7 cups of lightly salted water to a full boil in a large stockpot (roughly 5.5 qt stockpot). Once the water is at a full boil, place your charred (charring is optional) onion, ginger, and chicken. I prefer to place the onion and ginger in some cheesecloth, and tied with string to keep things neat, and to keep the broth clear for future use. Note:  If you need to add more water to cover ingredients, then do so. Once the water comes back to a full boil, reduce the heat to medium-low heat, and allow the chicken thighs to cook for 45minutes to 1 hour, until the chicken is no longer pink.

2.  While the chicken is poaching, make your dressing. Combine the cup of water with the fish sauce, the sugar, the chilies, and the lime juice. Mix or whisk well, and set aside. 

3.  Once the thighs have finished poaching, take them out of the pot, allow them to cool completely, remove the skin, and then remove the meat from the bones (tearing with your hands or a shredding with a fork). Strain and save the chicken broth for future use. 

4.  In a large bowl, combine the thinly sliced cabbage, herbs (mint, Vietnamese coriander, cilantro), sliced red onions, thinly sliced chilies, and the chicken. Add in your dressing and mix well. Serve topped with crispy fried shallots, dried roasted peanuts, and warm Vietnamese crispy rice crackers. Enjoy immediately.