How to make authentic Chaozhou casserole porridge

How to make authentic Chaoshan casserole porridge:

1. Wash the pearl rice and leave it for half an hour to allow it to expand and cook faster. Why do we use pearl rice? Because it has full grains. Soak the scallops, tear them into pieces and set aside. Wash the crab roe, remove the gills and cut into pieces.

2. Remove the shrimp heads and cut them into two pieces from the back. Do not throw away the shrimp heads. Remove the roots and keep the shrimp oil.

3. Add water for 4 people into the casserole and bring to a boil. Add rice and a spoonful of peanut butter and stir.

Why do we need to add 4 people's worth of water for 3 people? Because water will evaporate during the cooking process. In order to prevent the porridge from being too thick in the middle, the water will become clear after adding water. Therefore, you need to add enough at one time. If it feels too thick later in the cooking, you can add a small amount of boiling water. Peanut butter is added to increase the flavor.

4. After it is boiled, add the preserved vegetables and shredded scallops in advance to cook out the salty and fresh taste. Stir up and down constantly during the process to prevent the porridge from overflowing. At the same time, it can make the porridge thicker. Stir the bottom from time to time to prevent sticking to the pot.

5. After about 20 minutes, take out some rice grains and check them. If the rice grains become transparent and cracked, they are cooked.

6. Add crab roe and ginger slices, boil for two or three minutes before adding shrimps. Shrimp will cook faster, so just boil.

Note: Do not stir the crab roe immediately after putting it in, as the roe will disperse. Instead, let it solidify for a while and then gently stir the bottom to prevent sticking to the pot. Add a little salt (the winter vegetables are already salty), pepper, drizzle with shrimp oil, and finally sprinkle with celery and coriander before serving.

Notes on making Chaozhou casserole porridge:

No matter how many variations of a bowl of porridge there are, it can’t be without white rice porridge as the base. Only a bowl of crystal clear, plump porridge with the right thickness can bring out the delicious flavors of the ingredients.

1. To cook a pot of white rice porridge, the delicious rice should be soaked in water first. After washing the rice, don’t forget to soak it for another 30 minutes so that the rice grains can fully absorb water and cook into a soft and thick porridge.

2. Master the right temperature for cooking porridge. Cooking porridge requires the right mood. You can’t be impatient, irritable, or rough. Carefully pour the rice into the pot and boil it over high heat first. The rice grains in the pot will spread out in circles between the ripples with the water, then simmer over low heat.

3. Stir constantly to make it thick. There is a saying that goes "There is no trick to cooking porridge, stir it thirty-six times", which means to explain the importance of stirring in cooking porridge. Stir slowly with a spoon while cooking. The porridge will become thicker little by little, and the aroma of rice will permeate out little by little.