Many people and adages insist that food is meant to be shared. And certainly, some of life’s finest moments happen when gathering around the table with friends. And cooking for yourself may seem superfluous or a waste of energy. But I believe that all of us have meals that we only eat when we are alone. These meals may be embarrassing--in my case, a whole bowl of olives, which perhaps doesn’t really qualify as a meal.
But sometimes, we do eat true meals alone. Or maybe these are meals that we eat with others, but would enjoy far more by ourselves. When I lived alone, I made bread sticks and red sauce, which I ate straight from the stove top, perched on a stool. Bread and sauce is comfort. But probably not something we’d serve to guests. As part of a meal, sure; “Here is a salad, plate of spaghetti, and some bread sticks to sop it all up with.” But somehow the bread sticks and sauce taste better on their own when I can concentrate on the bready, garlicky, sweet, acidic essence of the dish.
Importantly, bread sticks and sauce is a dish I enjoy. It is nourishing and pleasurable for me, and if I ate the meal with a dining companion who did not share my enjoyment, then the pleasure is diminished.
But this is not a post about bread sticks and sauce.
It’s about congee.
Congee is across between rice pudding and soup, or almost like a thin risotto. Prior to making it three days ago, it was a dish I had eaten only once. But I will eat it many many more times.
Bon Appetit magazine published several recipes for Thanksgiving leftovers, and one of them was turkey congee, of which I made a modified, simplified version.
Simply put, this meal of rice and broth was one of the best things I have ever eaten. Ever.
I decided to make the dish for breakfast. I am not a huge fan of eggs, and though I do love breakfast meats, they are not everyday fare. I tend to like something hearty and savory to start my day, which leaves me eating hash browns every morning that I have energy to grate potatoes.
For our first Thanksgiving as a married couple, my husband Garrett and I splurged on a Bourbon Red heritage turkey. Despite the cost, I’d say it more-than-met its value. Not only did it feed our group of six, it gave us six additional meals in the week to follow, this congee being one of them (plus a freezer full of stock).
Stock is the star of congee. What begins as cups and cups of liquid, cooks down to almost half, concentrating rich flavor into humble rice. The starch in the rice transforms the liquid into silk. And there are just enough spices to quietly sing beneath the surface, yet still warm the tummy. The Bon Appetit recipe said the dish serves four, but I ate at least half the pot in one sitting. And while I shared the remainder with Garrett the next morning, it didn’t taste as good when I had to share. Which is why I made myself a solo portion the following day.
Some dishes taste magical when you make them for yourself.
Make this dish on a chilly morning. Make it when you feel a cold coming on. Make it to enjoy your own company. Make this dish to treat yourself well.
My Turkey Congee for One (but easily doubled, tripled, etc.)
In a saucepan, heat 3 cups of turkey stock with a sprinkling of cinnamon, powdered ginger (use more ginger than cinnamon), and a finely chopped red chili pepper (I used a pickled one. Feel free to use fresh, or replace with crushed red pepper flakes.).
When the liquid is boiling, add ¼ c of long-grain rice.
Turn the heat down to a simmer, and simmer away for 40-50 minutes (may take longer if you doubled the recipe). Stir every so often. For the last 10-15 minutes, you may need to stir very frequently to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot. The consistency should be like oatmeal, with the rice starting to break down.
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