Ginger & Roasted Bone Broth Congee
In Ayurvedic medicine, fall is categorized as a Vata season; a time governed by the energy of movement, wind, and creativity. A simple tenant of Ayurveda: like increases like. The dry, fast paced season will mimic itself in your body if you let it develop in excess (read: dry skin, scattered energy, increased anxiety, & weakened immunity.) To ensure that you stay grounded, focused, and well, welcome in practices that are opposite to vata in nature (read: routine, warm food & drink, vegetables that dig their roots into the ground). Easily digestible meals like soups, stews and porridges, as well as energetically warming ingredients like ginger and garlic, will be your greatest protective allies during the transition into colder and darker days.
Congee is a traditional Chinese rice porridge, often cooked low and slow in a savory broth till it reaches a soft, silky, and soupy consistency. In this rendition, heirloom Carolina Gold Rice is cooked with coconut milk, ginger and roasted beef bone broth. Enjoy any matter of ways: with garlicky shiitake mushrooms and spiced roasted squash, with braised collard greens and black sesame seeds, with shredded leftover chicken and a bright herb salad, with a soft boiled egg and wilted spinach, or as a vessel for whatever else the dregs of your fridge might have to offer.
Ingredients
1.5 cups white rice, preferably an organically grown heirloom variety*
1 quart roasted bone broth, recipe follows (can also be made with vegetable or mushroom broth)
3 tablespoons grated ginger
2 cans full fat coconut milk
Zest of 2 limes, plus more to serve
Juice of 1 lime, plus more to serve
1 tbsp fine salt, plus more to taste
1 tbsp unpasteurized soy sauce or tamari
Pinch cayenne
Directions
Briefly rinse your rice in a fine mesh sieve, then add it to a medium sized saucepan.
Add beef broth, coconut milk, grated ginger, and salt. At first glance it will look like an impossible amount of liquid to rice, but do not fear! Rice is a thirsty grain and will drink the liquid right up. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then immediately lower the heat down to a simmer. Cook low and slow for 30-45 minutes, stirring every 5-10 minutes or so, until the congee reaches the consistency of a soupy porridge. The rice should be quite soft.
Add the lime zest and juice, cayenne, and soy sauce. Mix thoroughly and taste for seasoning. If the flavors don’t pop, add another pinch of salt and a big squeeze of lime.
Serve in your favorite bowl with a lime wedge, a fresh grating of lime zest, and your chosen toppings.
Roasted Beef Bone Broth
2.5 pounds beef bones
2 yellow onions, quartered
1 head garlic, halved down the equator
1 piece of kombu
3 bay leaves
1 tsp whole black peppercorn
5 hearty sprigs of thyme
2 sprigs of rosemary
2 thumb sized knobs of ginger, roughly chopped
Directions
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Rinse your bones of any blood, and spread out evenly on a baking sheet. Roast in the hot oven for 30-45 minutes, or until the bones are deeply colored and your whole kitchen smells delightfully savory.
Once the bones are sufficiently roasted, place them in a medium sized stock pot and cover with 5 quarts of water. Bring to a gentle boil, then immediately bring down to a simmer. Skim the scum that will rise to the top for the first 30 minutes. Once you’ve skimmed all the scum there is to skim, keep the broth on a low simmer for 12-24 hours.
After 12-24 hours, add your onion, garlic, kombu, bay, black peppercorn, and ginger. Continue to cook on low heat for another 8 hours. Add the thyme and rosemary, and cook for one more hour - adding the herbs towards the end of the cooking process ensures that their bright, aromatic flavors won’t get dulled down.
Cool, strain, and store in the fridge or freezer. If you plan to use the broth for sipping, you can season it with salt to taste before storing. I prefer to leave my broth unsalted as I often use it for cooking. This allows you to have more control over the seasoning and saltiness of whatever you might be cooking with it
*Koda Farms and Anson Mills both offer incredible heirloom varietals of rice, available for purchase online.
About the Author
Vilda Gonzalez is the Food Editor at The Thirlby, an avid home cook, and studying to become a holistic nutritionist. She is the founder and chef of Sol-Eir, an ongoing series of alchemized food and beverage experiences. Her mission is to rewire our collective relationship to what eating well truly means; with the highest regard of respect for our body, our community, and our earth. She believes that food should be delicious, flavorful, and indulgent, but it should also be deeply nourishing, regenerative, and inherently healthful. Vilda also works with individuals to strengthen their personal relationships with food through means of intuitive cooking and connection.
