How to Cook Delicious and Nutritious Chicken Porridge That You’ll Never Get Tired Of

A guide to cooking delicious and nutritious chicken porridge:

Ingredients for Chicken Porridge

– Chicken: 1 (approx. 4.4 lbs)

– White rice: 10.5 oz

– Straw mushrooms or fresh shiitake mushrooms: 10.5 oz

– Onion: 1 (10.5 oz)

– Scallions: 4 cloves

– Cilantro: a small bunch

– Vietnamese coriander: a handful

– Lime or key lime: 1

– Garlic: 4 cloves

– Chili peppers: 4

– Bell pepper or horn pepper: 1

– Ginger: 0.17 oz

– Shallots: 4.2 oz

Spices

– Fish sauce: 1.05 oz

– Salt: 0.8 oz (about 1.5 tablespoons)

– Seasoning powder: 0.4 oz (about 1 tablespoon)

– Rock sugar: 0.7 oz

– Granulated sugar: 0.35 oz

– MSG: 0.35 oz

– Ground pepper (to taste)

The best way to cook chicken porridge

Step 1: Prepare the ingredients

• After purchasing the young chicken, rub it inside and out with salt and lime, then rinse thoroughly.
• Be sure to cut the nails, remove any remaining feathers, and trim the excess fat near the tail to prevent a gamey smell. Peel and rinse the shallots, finely chop a small portion, and thinly slice the rest.
• Finely chop the garlic and chili peppers.
• Cut the bell pepper or horn pepper into strips.
• Slice the onion lengthwise, about 0.2 inches thick, and soak it in ice water to make it crisp and mild.
• Cut the scallions into small pieces, separating the white and green parts.
• Roughly chop the Vietnamese coriander, avoiding over-chopping.
• Squeeze the lime to obtain its juice.
• Clean the straw mushrooms, trim their stems, and make a cross-shaped incision on their caps. For larger mushrooms, cut them in half.
• Rinse the rice and let it air dry.

Step 2: Boil the chicken

Pour about 4 liters of water into a pot and heat it to approximately 122°F before adding the chicken to avoid a gamey taste and skin rupturing. Once the water is hot, place the chicken in the pot, submerging the breast and thighs first for even cooking.

Add half of the shallots and a small piece of ginger to enhance the aroma. Season the broth with 1 tablespoon of salt (about 0.6 oz) and 0.7 oz of rock sugar. Cook the chicken over medium heat.

When the water starts to boil, skim off the foam, reduce the heat, and continue cooking for an additional 15 to 20 minutes. Poke the chicken with a pair of chopsticks; if the juices run clear, turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let it sit for another 15 minutes to ensure the bones are no longer red.

Step 3: Fry the rice

In a separate pan, heat a small amount of chicken fat. Add the sliced shallots and sauté until fragrant. Toss in the rice and cook over medium heat for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the grains turn opaque and slightly puffed. Remove from heat.

Step 4: Cook the porridge

Remove the chicken from the broth and immediately plunge it into a basin of cold water. Discard the cooked shallots and ginger, then add enough water to the broth to make 4 liters of liquid.

Transfer the fried rice to the pot of chicken broth and simmer over medium heat. Alternatively, you can combine all the ingredients in an electric pressure cooker and cook for about 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, release the pressure, let it rest for another 10 minutes, and then open the lid and remove the chicken.

Step 5: Sauté the mushrooms

Heat some oil in a pan. Add the chopped garlic and sauté until aromatic. Toss in the mushrooms and give them a quick stir. Season with 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder and 3 tablespoons of water to ensure even distribution of flavor.

Step 6: Make a salad to accompany the porridge

Prepare a dressing by combining 2.1 oz of granulated sugar, 1.05 oz of fish sauce, and a tiny pinch of ground pepper. Warm it over low heat until the sugar dissolves; no need to bring it to a boil. Turn off the heat and allow it to cool slightly before adding 1.05 oz of lime juice, chopped garlic, and chili peppers. Mix well.

Remove the chicken from the ice bath, pat it dry, and shred the meat into bite-sized pieces, reserving the thighs for garnishing the porridge. Set the bones aside to return to the porridge later for added flavor.

In a large bowl, combine the sliced onion with 2.5 tablespoons of the dressing and let it marinate for about 5 minutes. Then, add the shredded chicken and another 3 tablespoons of dressing. Finally, toss in the bell pepper strips and Vietnamese coriander. Use the remaining dressing as a dipping sauce for the chicken.

Step 7: Finalize the dish