A picture may say a thousand words, but there are no adjectives to describe the widespread destruction wrought by Supertyphoon “Yolanda” last week in the Visayan region. Every image seems more heartbreaking than the last: houses and buildings crumpled to nothingness; refugees cramped inside crowded shelters; a father carrying the body of his lifeless child; and a woman giving birth in a refugee center.
Yolanda has also erased entire landscapes. It was nature rearranging nature, with fury and methodical madness.
The needs of the victims are many, not the least of which is food. In times like these, who can worry about gourmet cooking?
And yet the people have to eat. They have to be fed nourishing food that, if possible, should also taste good.
Searching for an affordable and tasty recipe that can feed a crowd, I remembered that Cora, my sister in Sydney, once mentioned that she has a recipe for congee given her by her Chinese friend, Sally. Ever helpful, Cora immediately e-mailed me the recipe.
When I cooked the congee at home, I was amazed at how a few simple ingredients can turn out to be so flavorful. Soothing and comforting, this congee can do much to alleviate the hunger of our countrymen.
It’s also a flexible recipe you can adapt to your needs. In times of emergency, you can cook this quickly and do away with some of the toppings. For less hurried situations, you can simmer the rice for a longer time, which will make it more flavorful, and add various toppings of your choice.
This dish also goes a long way. Just two and a half cups of malagkit rice can yield a whole kaldero of congee, enough to feed 15-20 people.
I hope both the rescuers and the rescued will somehow be able to savor this dish. I can’t go there to cook for them but I hope this recipe helps, in whatever little way it can.
Congee
10 c water, plus more as needed
3 chicken broth cubes
½ k ground pork (see tip)
¼ c oyster sauce
2 ½ c malagkit (glutinous) rice
Patis (fish sauce), or salt and pepper, to taste
For the topping (optional):
3 salted eggs, sliced
3 century eggs, sliced
Chopped green onions
Calamansi
In a deep casserole, bring the 10 cups water and chicken broth cubes to a boil. Meanwhile, marinate the ground pork in oyster sauce.
When the water starts to boil, stir in the malagkit rice. Simmer on low to medium heat until the rice is half-cooked, stirring occasionally (about 10-15 minutes). Add more water if needed so the mixture doesn’t become too thick.
When the rice is half-cooked, add the ground pork. Season with patis or salt and pepper. Add more water, depending on the consistency you like—more water for a thinner porridge, less water for a thicker porridge. Simmer, stirring often, until the pork and the rice are fully cooked.
Ladle into individual bowls. If available, top each bowl with pieces of salted eggs, century eggs and green onions. Serve hot with calamansi, if available.
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Cook’s tips
You can also use just ¼ kilo of ground pork. Ground beef or sliced chicken can also be used.
When not in a hurry, cook this on very low fire for about an hour. According to Sally, the longer you cook this, the tastier it will be.
The salted eggs and century eggs are what make this congee flavorful. But if not available, use other add-ons such as bagoong, fried garlic, dilis or tuyo.
