Bird's nest seafood congee is a nutritious and delicious dish suitable for everyone, especially children and pregnant women. Not only tasty, bird's nest seafood congee also contains a good amount of nutrients, protein and vitamins, providing a large source of energy for a long, busy day.
Ingredients for bird's nest seafood congee
Bird's nest: 50g
Glutinous rice: 100g
Regular rice: 100g
Shrimp: 150g
Squid: 150g
Shiitake mushrooms: 4 - 5 mushrooms
Corn kernels: 50g
Spring onions: 2 sprigs
Ginger: 1 small piece, shallot: 1 bulb
Seasonings: black pepper, sugar, salt, sesame oil, fish sauce
How to prepare
Step 1: Prepare the ingredients
Soak the bird's nest in water for about 15-20 minutes. Then clean it, remove any impurities, drain, and double-boil it.
Mix the glutinous rice and regular rice together, wash them clean, then soak in water for 2 – 3 hours so the rice swells; when cooked, the rice will become soft faster and taste better (if you are cooking congee for breakfast, you can soak the rice the night before).
Peel the shallot and ginger, wash them clean, then finely chop. Trim the roots and withered leaves from the spring onions, wash them clean, then finely slice.
Soak the mushrooms in salted water, then cut off the stems, wash off all dirt thoroughly, and cut each into 2 or 3 pieces.
Peel the shrimp, remove the heads and the black vein along the body, wash clean, chop into small pieces, and drain.
Clean the squid thoroughly and slice into bite-sized rings, then put the shrimp and squid in a large bowl and marinate with the shallot, 1 teaspoon of fish sauce, ½ teaspoon of sugar and ½ teaspoon of salt for 20 minutes.
Step 2: Cook the seafood congee
Pour off the rice-soaking water, wash the rice once more, then put the rice into the pot and add water to a level 3 times higher than the rice. Turn the stove to high heat; when the water boils, lower to low heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.
Wash the corn kernels, boil until cooked, then remove and drain.
When the congee is nearly soft and the rice grains begin to swell and soften, add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes over low heat.
Next, add the shrimp, squid, corn, chopped ginger and 1 teaspoon of salt to the pot, stir gently and cover with the lid. When the shrimp and squid are cooked, add the double-boiled bird's nest, the spring onions and 1 teaspoon of pepper, stir well, then turn off the heat.
Step 3: Enjoy
Ladle the congee into a bowl, sprinkle on a little black pepper and a little coriander, and serve with vegetables such as Vietnamese mint, perilla and so on, to add more flavour to the dish.
If you like spicy food, you can add chopped chili, chili sauce and so on to the congee.
Notes on preparing bird's nest seafood congee
If you want to cook congee for breakfast, you can soak the rice the day before or use leftover cooked rice from the previous meal.
To save time, you can buy peeled shrimp or ask the seller to prepare the shrimp and squid in advance. When cooking, you only need to wash the shrimp and squid and marinate them.
Yến Sào Sài Gòn wishes you success and a delicious meal!