Nirvana Chicken Congee

Chef Karen over at Myers and Chang supplied the recipe for this.  It's one of those simple, all-day meals that requires very little effort, and makes your kitchen smell amazing.

Start with chicken, scallions, ginger, soy sauce, star anise, Michiu (Chinese cooking wine), and sambal olek (chili paste).  The black vinegar shown (sort of like an Asian balsamic, but different) will be used to finish the dish.

Brown the chicken, then add chicken stock, soy, michiu, sambal, star anise, scallions and ginger.  Add enough water to cover.  Bring to a siimmer, then put into a 350 degree oven for 2-3 hours.

While that's filling the house with awesomeness, gently fry thinly sliced shallots in vegetable oil.  By "gently" I mean heat the oil on high until it reaches 275, then tun the heat to low, add the shallots, and cook for about 20 minutes until they've turned brown. Remove to paper towels, and reserve the now infused shallot oil for another day.

so, time's up. Move the chicken to a plate and shred with a fork.  Remove and toss the other chunky bits, then return the chicken to the liquid.  Give it a taste; if it's too intense (the soy can definitely do that), cut it with more stock or water.

Add four parts of the chicken/liquid deliciousness to one part rice.  Cook over low heat until the rice is soft, between 30-45 minutes.

Serve topped with a mixture of fresh scallions, black vinegar, fresh chili peppers, and finish with some of the fried scallions.

Thanks, Karen!