I was going to start this post with something about how rainy, cool, March days (it’s still March, right?) call for comfort food but, real talk: We have all the permission in the world to embrace nurturing comfort foods right now.

Last night I made a roast chicken (thanks, Sport Hill Farm!) with root veggies for dinner. Then, I used the chicken scraps and all of my veggie scraps from the last two days to make a stock. This morning I froze half the stock and used the other half to make this delicious congee for breakfast. Warm and savory, congee is like a hug for your belly. And who couldn’t use a belly hug right now?

To make congee, rice is simmered slow and low with chicken stock at a 1:8 ratio until it turns into a porridge. I cooked 1/2 cup of rice in 4 cups of stock over medium-low heat for almost two hours for a thick porridge.

Then, it’s all about the toppings. I love savory flavors so I added soy sauce, sesame oil, a fried egg, charred scallions, some sesame seeds, and red pepper flakes. You could also add things like sautéed mushrooms, kimchi, sautéed Chinese greens (like baby bok choy), Chinese chili garlic sauce… whatever makes you happy! If you like it a little sweeter, hoisin sauce is a fun addition. 1/2 cup of rice yielded about 3 servings.

Chinese Congee