Fish congee is a comforting Chinese dish - featuring tender fish simmered in a creamy rice porridge, along with veggies, and seasoned with ginger and a touch of spice!

What is congee?

Congee (aka 粥 or 稀飯) is a type of savory rice porridge in Asian cuisine. It is a very comforting dish which is why it's not surprising that it's often eaten for breakfast and/or when you're not feeling well!

It is made by simmering rice in water or broth until the rice is soft and mushy. It's easy to digest, and if you make it with chicken broth and fish, along with some veggies it's just overall a lightly healthy comfort meal!

You can make it plain or with protein such as fish (this recipe) or chicken congee!

Raw Rice or Leftover Rice

You can make congee with raw rice or leftover rice. I like making the dish when I already have leftover rice, so this recipe is written for leftover rice.

But it is basically the same, except the minor changes if you use raw rice:

• Instead of 4 cups of broth or water, use 8 cups.
• Instead of 30 minutes of cooking the rice, cook for about an hour.

Congee Topping Ideas

One of the best part about congee is actually all the toppings that can go with it!

Of course to keep it the most simple, you can just top with some chopped green onions, but here are some other popular toppings:

• Meat floss (Pork, chicken, fish, etc.)
• Century Egg
• Salted Duck Eggs
• Pickled Vegetables (mustard greens, soy sauce cucumbers, etc.)
• Youtiao (Chinese fried dough)
• Mian Jin (Wheat gluten aka seiitan)
• Sesame oil
• Soy Sauce
• Chili oil

So many to choose from! But like I said, you can totally skip everything too if you prefer.

How to Cook Fish Congee

First gather your ingredients:

• Fish marinade:
  • 8 oz white fish, cut in to bite size (I used mahi mahi this time)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine
  • 2 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 cup leftover white rice, washed
• 4 cups chicken broth or water
• ½ tablespoon ginger, julienned
• 2 cups napa cabbage or green cabbage
• ¼ teaspoon white pepper
• Salt to taste
• Chopped green onions (optional)

Marinate the Fish:

• In a medium bowl, combine fish pieces with salt, white pepper, rice wine, cornstarch, and ginger.
• Gently toss to coat evenly.
• Marinate for 15 minutes.

Cook the Congee:

• In a large pot, combine leftover rice, ginger, cabbage, and chicken broth (or water).
• Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
• Reduce heat to low, cover partially, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

Add Fish and Finish:

• Gently stir in marinated fish pieces.
• Bring to a boil.
• Season with additional salt and white pepper to taste.
• Cook until fish is cooked through.

Serve:

• Ladle congee into bowls and garnish with chopped green onions, cilantro, and julienned ginger (optional).
• Serve hot!

Pin for later!

Sharing is caring!