Red Abalone Congee

The Base

The base: our basic congee, a Melinda-and-Arista-Portland congee recipe: 1/2 cup organic hulled millet, rinsed; 1/2 cup organic rice of your choice, rinsed; and 4 – 6 cups organic chicken stock (Kirkland is what we used), a knob of organic butter, and a half teaspoon of Himalayan pink salt. Make it the day of, or ahead of time.

Congee is a cornerstone of well-being in Classical Chinese Medicine. Primarily this is because it is easy to digest and it encourages the digestive system, specifically the Stomach and Spleen, to create Thin Fluids. The body needs Thin Fluids to be hydrated, and hydration is the root of youthfulness and vitality. Thin Fluids help the body to build Blood, Thick Fluids, and Jing as natural effects of better hydration.

Although we ate this Red Abalone Congee for breakfast, we sometimes eat congee as a midday or as an evening meal. Congee can be savory, neutral, or sweet in its presentation. It can provide a base for added vegetables and protein, or, eaten plain. When we eat congee as the first food of the day, we are sending a message to our bodies: “There is enough fluid, and you will be hydrated today.”

The Fixings

First, chop an organic kohlrabi, organic purple-top turnip, a head of organic bok choi, and add to the hot congee.

Next, face down the raw abalone with a sharp knife and cutting board and extricate it from its single shell. Chop it into little pieces and saute it in organic butter on low heat.

Next, poach two free range organic eggs in lightly salted hot water (swirl madly with wooden spoon!).

Then, bowl it up in this order: congee base, lightly poached eggs, sauteed abalone.

Last, top with ground sea salt, ground black pepper, and fresh or freeze-dried organic chives.

Why?

A good dish for the household Jing.