I've been getting really sick lately, I'm sure because of the quantity of alcohol I've consumed and the fact that someone around me is always sick. I saw my best friend two days ago after she was just getting over a cold and now here I am with the sniffles.
I usually lose my appetite when I'm sick except when it comes to chicken soup. Something about warm chicken broth that warms the body and the soul really motivates me to get some food in my system.
In my college years I learned a pretty good chicken soup recipe that included making my own chicken stock to start with. Since I'm no longer a student with a load of time on my hands I opt for a crockpot chicken soup or my favorite: Chinese Chicken Congee.
My mother, the traditional Chinese mom, claims that this porridge like dish is the only real thing you should eat when you're sick. Whenever my mom is sick I make it a habit to return the favor. Here is the long recipe:
Ingredients
1 cup of white rice
6-8 cups of chicken broth
3 table spoons of Chinese cooking wine
1 whole chicken
1 large onion
2 fingers of ginger
salt to taste
msg optional
green onions to garnish
You start by submerging a whole chicken in water in a large stock pot. Place the large onion skinned and halved in the pot. Cover and bring the pot to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for 45 minutes and turn off the heat. Leave covered for 1 hour or more. Ideally you should end up with 6-8 cups of chicken broth this way. When cooled remove the chicken from the pot.
Wash the cup of rice. Rice is notoriously dirty because of the insects and rodents that get into the warehouses so you should always clean your rice before cooking it. I like to saute the rice in some oil until lightly browned to add an additional nutty flavor but this is not necessary.
Peel the ginger and cut the pieces into small almost toothpick like sticks. Remove the meat from the chicken. The meat should almost be shreddable with a fork. Remove the large boned and place them back in the pot. Add the wine, rice and ginger to the pot and bring the pot to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and add the salt to taste.
I know MSG gets a bad wrap but my mom always made this soup with msg and it just doesn't taste as flavorful without it. I always add msg to taste. Allow the soup to simmer until the rice grains are virtually indistinguishable like little starchy explosions.
This should make a medium thick congee, if you prefer it thinner you can add water to thin it out. Serve in a large bowl, top with a generous amount of shredded chicken, a sprinkle of thinly chopped green onions/cilantro and the option of black pepper and chili garlic.
(Picture courtesy of Google Images.)
