Congee, or porridge, has a history of over 4,000 years.
As people's living habits and needs changed, various forms and flavors of congee gradually evolved.
And in the Chaoshan region, known as the "Kingdom of the Ocean," locals love to drink congee, and they have even combined ordinary congee with local seafood specialties to create a classic dish famous both domestically and internationally:
Claypot Congee!
Speaking of congee, Yuan Mei, a gourmet from the Qing Dynasty, once said: "When water and rice are perfectly blended, soft and smooth as one, only then can it be called congee!"
First, add enough water at once.
Bring to a boil over high heat, then add the soaked rice and a little peanut oil.
The oil helps reduce the overflow of congee foam; when cooking congee, you must continuously stir with a ladle to thoroughly release the heat between the rice grains, so the congee doesn't become mushy and sticky.
Once the rice grains bloom, reduce to medium heat, add dried scallops, crab, shredded ginger, and mushrooms, and cook for 5 minutes.
Then reduce to low heat and add shrimp.
And abalone slices, lard, fish sauce, and winter vegetables.
During this process, stirring should be reduced so as not to break up the rice grains and make the entire pot of congee too thick.
Before serving, sprinkle a little cilantro!
...
"Erina."
"Come down for breakfast quickly."
As soon as the words fell, a thumping and banging sound was heard.
Nakiri Erina, still groggy from sleep, hurried down the stairs, her hair a bit disheveled, likely not having had time to get ready, wearing only a thin silk nightgown.
But she was still full of youthful vitality, looking even more charming than usual!
"Here, for you."
Sosuke served a bowl of steaming hot Claypot Congee and handed it to her.
Staring blankly for a moment, Erina's head was still a bit muddled, but then her stomach must have truly been hungry, so she didn't think any further.
She quickly scooped a spoonful of congee, blew on it a few times to cool it, and then slowly brought it to her mouth to savor.
Unlike ordinary iron pots, congee cooked in a clay pot has a rich, unique aroma.
Upon first taste, a fragrant congee aroma lingered in her mouth; various seafood ingredients, paired with mushrooms and winter vegetables cooked in white congee, instantly felt soft, smooth, refreshing, and melted in her mouth.
Of course, the freshness of the shrimp and crab was not only perfectly preserved but also infused into every grain of rice and every drop of congee.
It made one realize that one day, their tongue could be made fresh by congee.
No exaggeration.
It was the kind of rhythm that made one want to eat three bowls continuously!
...
Different occasions bring different experiences.
And the mood of the person eating congee will naturally be different.
This freshly cooked Claypot Congee would certainly be scalding hot when eaten.
But upon careful tasting, the delicate white congee, tender crab, and refreshing shrimp constantly intertwined, bubbling and gurgling, sliding past the lips and teeth, its flavor was truly exquisite!
"Using a clay pot, and cooking it to order.
"Stirring constantly while simmering to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot."
"Especially when making congee, continuously stirring raw rice and then adding fresh shrimp, it's clear that the two most difficult aspects to master for this Claypot Congee dish are."
"One is the heat control, and the other is maintaining a consistently perfect flavor."
"It seems simple, but in reality, every detail is very particular. Oh, what's happening… my eyes are a bit blurry, it seems like tears are about to come out!"
As she spoke, Erina, who possessed the God Tongue, couldn't help but shed tears again because of the dish Sosuke had made.
Ever since Nakiri Mana left home, for over 10 years, her daily breakfast had primarily been handled by her secretary, Hisako.
Although she occasionally received invitations from some chefs to taste their breakfast dishes as a supervisor, those breakfasts, to her, lacked a certain "love" emotion.
And Sosuke?
Naturally, he was the first person after Hisako who was genuinely willing to make breakfast for her.
No!
His breakfast.
It was even more satisfying than Hisako's!
Therefore, she was very moved and clearly understood that she truly couldn't do without Sosuke.
...
"What's wrong?"
"So, the noble Nakiri young lady also cries?"
"Look, you're almost crying like a little crybaby!"
Seeing this scene, Sosuke couldn't help but be stunned, thinking to himself that it was just a simple Claypot Congee, it didn't glow, nor was it drugged, yet it made her cry?
Having no other choice, he reached out his hand and gently wiped away the tears on Erina's cheeks, comforting her in his own way.
"I'm not a crybaby, it's just that sand got into my eyes."
Erina, holding back her tears, looked at him with sparkling eyes.
Then, her small hand suddenly pressed down on Sosuke's large hand on her face, unwilling to let him remove it in the slightest.
"Hmm?"
"You… you are…"
Sosuke wanted to pull away, but seeing Erina's face instantly turn flushed and very hot, he quickly realized something.
Erina stared at him with complicated eyes for a long time, then her gaze softened again, and after gently letting go of his hand, she didn't muster the courage to answer Sosuke, but instead asked: "Chaoshan Claypot Congee, no matter how it's made, the taste usually doesn't differ much, but why does yours taste even more fragrant?"
"For the choice of rice, I used Wuchang rice from Northeast China."
Knowing that Erina was deliberately avoiding certain emotions, Sosuke didn't press her but smiled and answered her question.
"Wuchang rice?"
"Isn't Claypot Congee always cooked with this kind of rice?"
Upon hearing this, Erina became even more confused. ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
The so-called Wuchang rice actually derives its name from the meaning of "Three Cardinal Guides and Five Constant Virtues," which are: benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness.
In the past, this Wuchang rice was usually an imperial tribute rice exclusively enjoyed by the Celestial Dynasty's royal family, and it had extremely high requirements for every indicator, such as growing environment, sunlight, temperature, rainfall, and soil.
This type of rice, when cooked, is softer, slightly sticky, slightly sweet, and slightly chewy, and it can still maintain a good texture even after cooling.
Therefore, it is the most suitable for making Claypot Congee.
"The congee needs to be thick, but you also need to be able to feel the presence of the rice grains, so Wuchang rice is the best choice."
"And it's best to soak it for half an hour before cooking. Although using a clay pot inherently makes it less likely to stick to the bottom, to make good congee, you need to go through the so-called thirty-six stirs."
"I see."
"The key is the continuous stirring during the cooking process!"
Upon hearing this, Erina instantly understood.
...
The relationship between congee and the people of the Celestial Dynasty is as thick and dense as congee itself, inseparable.
Just a small spoonful can stir up a thousand waves, revealing delicious crab meat, fresh prawns, small dried scallops, sweet and soft rice grains...
In the past, regarding these delicious seafood products.
Nakiri Erina had eaten them so much that she was almost nauseous, feeling nothing new.
But now, she was unwilling to waste a single mouthful of the congee that had absorbed all the essence of the seafood. Because each slightly hot mouthful, each spoonful of congee slowly melting in her mouth, that feeling made her deeply experience the wonderfulness of Claypot Congee!
Finally, in a warm atmosphere.
The entire pot of congee was eaten by her and Sosuke.
Afterward, touching her slightly bulging belly, Erina felt a sense of lingering satisfaction and immense pleasure.
Especially thinking that during this holiday after the Practical Training, as long as she temporarily stayed at the Izakaya, she would be able to continuously enjoy Sosuke's breakfast just like now.
She couldn't help but secretly feel joyful in her heart.
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