chinese breakfast: congee and you tiao

congee & you tiao

Not mentioned in the article from china.org.cn is a dish that turns up when you search on chinese breakfast recipes: congee. Many Chinese begin their day with a warm bowl of congee (also known as jook in Canton), a watery rice gruel that bears a marked resemblance to porridge. The variety of seasonings used to make congee ensure that it need not ever become boring. Congee can be sweet or savory; seasoned with everything from chicken to mushrooms. Often, the meat is marinated before being added to the rice. And, just as a morning cup of cafe au lait and a croissant are de rigueur for the French, crullers are the food of choice to serve with congee. Also known as “deep-fried devils,” crullers are twisted strips of dough – approximately twelve inches long – that have been deep-fried in oil. 

Their nickname, “deep-fried devils,” is derived from ancient legend.  During the time of Confucius, a government official falsely accused Yueh Fei, a famous scholar and poet, of treason.  Yueh Fei was subsequently put to death. The Chinese name for the dish, “Yu Za Kuei” translates literally into deep-fried devils.  Frying the crullers in oil symbolizes the government official and everyone who participated in the scheme being deep-fried in oil for eternity. They are dipped in warm congee, the same way you would dip a doughnut into a cup of coffee. In northern China, where wheat is the staple crop, crullers are dipped into a thin soymilk, which can be either sweet or salty.

Congee (Jook)

congee

There are no rules about what to add to congee: meat, fish, vegetables, and healthy herbs, shredded lotus root and gingko nuts are all popular. You can also make a sweet version of congee with Chinese dates (jujubes) and a bit of rock sugar. Add the secondary ingredients after bringing the rice to a boil, before turning down the heat.

Serves 6 to 8

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup long grain rice
9 cups water
1 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large pot, bring the water and rice to a boil.
2. When the rice is boiling, turn the heat down to medium low. Place the lid on the pot, tilting it to allow steam to escape (the same as you would do when making cooked rice.)
3. Cook on medium low to low heat, stirring occasionally, until the rice has the thick, creamy texture of porridge (1 – 1 1/4 hours).
4. Add the salt, taste and add seasonings if desired.
5. Serve with garnishes such as crushed peanuts if desired.

You tiao (Chinese Crullers, Fried Devils)

you tiao

You tiao, sometimes known in English as Chinese cruller, fried bread stick, Chinese doughnut, or fried devil, is a long, golden-brown, deep fried strip of dough in Chinese cuisine and other East and Southeast Asian cuisines and is usually eaten for breakfast. Conventionally, you tiao are lightly salted and made so they can be torn lengthwise in two. Youtiao are normally eaten as an accompaniment for rice congee or soy milk.

24 crullers

INGREDIENTS

1 loaf frozen bread dough
oil for deep frying

DIRECTIONS

1. Thaw bread dough overnight in the refrigerator. About 1 hour before using, remove from the refrigerator and tear dough into about 24 pieces.
2. Roll each between your hands to form a long sausage.  Let stand at room temperature 1 hour.
3. Heat oil for deep-frying. When oil is ready, take each strip of dough and pull, twisting both ends before dropping into the oil.
4. Deep-fry until golden brown.

Remove and drain on paper towels.