Congee (or ‘jook’ as we call it in Cantonese) is one of the first proper meals eaten by Chinese kids, and it’s easy to see why. Smooth, nourishing, and warming, rice porridge can be enjoyed any time of the day. It’s also the Chinese equivalent to chicken soup when you’re feeling under the weather. Just last week, mum cooked up a big pot of congee for our brother Justin, who had all four(!) of his wisdom teeth removed. Don’t be put off if you don’t like porridge made with rolled oats – there’s absolutely nothing heavy about rice congee. Quite the opposite, because it is light and fluffy rather than stodgy.

Making congee is child’s play: a small quantity of rice is simmered in water or stock over a low heat for several hours. This slow cooking process makes for ultra silky congee, where grains of rice puff and fragment, barely holding their shape by the time the porridge is ready to eat. With its subtle, nutty aroma, plain congee is the ideal vehicle for a raft of flavoursome additions, including spicy pickled mustard stem and crunchy fried peanuts.

At it’s core the recipe couldn’t be any easier. Nevertheless, I like to speed things up because I’m generally far too impatient to wait four hours for my congee fix. And even though it’s bound to get Chinese grannies up in arms, I’m pleased to say that I can make a delicious, smooth congee in just 25 minutes.