This is a recipe for the most velvet Fish Congee. You won’t believe just how easy it is to make! With only THREE main ingredients and simple seasoning, even beginner cooks can make this meal fit for a family!
The Congee You’ll Always Come Back To
Whenever I run out of ideas for dinner, a warm and soothing Fish Congee is almost always my go to. It’s a real no-brainer: one quick stop to pick up a lovely slab of boneless ling and dinner is covered.
It really is the ultimate emergency meal without sacrificing any amazing flavor!
I love it just as much as Grandma’s Century Egg and Pork Congee, but Fish Congee takes the crown for being outrageously easy while still packing a whole ton of taste.
This recipe doesn’t come with a myriad of ingredients and complex techniques like others do because it’s one of those dishes that’s wholeheartedly celebrated for being utterly and deliciously simple.
If you make it tonight, this is what you’ll end up with – creamy, PERFECTLY cooked rice porridge with the silkiest fillets you’ll ever know.
It’s a dish I’ll be making again and again, emergency or not!
Why this recipe works
- Using ling fish means you’ll have a clean and fresh sweetness that doesn’t overpower the congee.
- Marinating the fillets beforehand gives it a chance to soak in all the seasoning, leaving you with a beautifully fragrant dish.
- Using a diagonal cut to slice the fillets leaves you with stunningly thin slices which melt in your mouth when cooked.
- Adding a spoonful of fried garlic intensifies the flavor of your Fish Congee for minimal effort!
What you’ll need
You won’t believe how straightforward the ingredient list is for a dish that packs so much flavor!
The Congee
About the type of rice
Go for Jasmine rice if you want a grain that breaks down quickly when cooked. It needs to be washed and lightly salted.
The Fish
About the produce
This Fish Congee recipe uses ling which can be found in long slabs from the fish monger.
The Fried Garlic
About the fried garlic
Making fried garlic is completely optional, but will add so much flavor to your congee. You just have to try it!
How to make this recipe
Wash the rice grains and mix it in with salt and oil. Let it rest for 1 hour then pour it into a pot of boiling water.
Cook the grains for at least 20 minutes or until it reaches your preferred consistency.
Note: Remember to stir the pot’s base every 5 minutes so the rice grains don’t stick to the bottom and burn!
While the congee is cooking, heat the cooking oil and brown the garlic over a medium heat until golden, then transfer to a serving dish to cool.
Fillet the ling thinly by holding the knife with the blade facing away from you and cutting at an angle.
Marinate the sliced pieces with fish sauce, chicken bouillon powder, pepper and the fried garlic for a minimum of 10 minutes.
Turn the heat on low or completely off, put the fillets in to cook using residual or low heat for 5 minutes or until cooked.
Note: The low heat will result in silkier fillets.
Serve hot with fried garlic, chopped spring onions and ginger!
FAQs
The beauty of this recipe is that you can use any type you like! We prefer to use ling because they’re mostly boneless, have a clean taste and require close to no prep.
Our family prefers to use Jasmine rice for its flavor and easiness when preparing, but you can make congee with any rice grain you’d like. Just make sure to keep an eye on it as cooking times will vary from grain to grain.
Tips for the best results
- Cook enough for each serving. Instead of putting all the marinated pieces in the congee to cook, we like to leave the fillets in a separate bowl and only cook it when someone’s about to eat. This means there’s extra time to marinate and leaves it tasting fresh every time.
- Go for boneless. Unless the fish is freshly caught, I always opt for boneless. It’s much easier to eat!
- Season closer the end. Don’t forget the fillets are marinated with sauce and spices. Taste as it simmers, then season to your preference.
More rice recipes your family will love!
- Rice Cooker Chicken and Mushroom Rice – Topped with classic ingredients like Chinese sausages and shiitake mushrooms, this recipe is a winner for everyone.
- Dried Scallop and Egg White Fried Rice (瑤柱蛋白炒飯) – A simple yet fragrant fried rice with crispy dried scallop threads that can be made with everyday pantry staples!
- Vietnamese Sticky Rice (Xôi Mặn) – You can mix and match your favourite toppings for the most amazing Vietnamese Sticky Rice.
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Fish Congee (魚片粥)
Ingredients
The Congee
- 1 1/2 US cup rice (we use Jasmine rice)
- 3 tsp salt, or to taste (reserve 1 tsp to soak into the grains)
- 1 tsp chicken bouillon powder
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 5 L / 21 US cups water
- 1 tbsp cooking oil (for soaking into the grains)
The Fish
- 750 g / 1.65 lb fish (we use ling)
- 1 tbsp chicken bouillon powder
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 1/2 tbsp fried garlic (optional)
The Fried Garlic (Optional)
- 1/4 US cup minced garlic
- 3 tbsp cooking oil
Instructions
- Wash the rice grains and mix it in with salt and oil. Let it rest for 1 hour then pour it into a pot of boiling water.
- Cook the grains for at least 20 minutes or until it reaches your preferred consistency.Note: Remember to stir the pot's base every 5 minutes so the rice grains don't stick to the bottom and burn!
- While the congee is cooking, heat the cooking oil and brown the garlic over a medium heat until golden, then transfer to a serving dish to cool.
- Fillet the ling thinly by holding the knife with the blade facing away from you and cutting at an angle.
- Marinate the sliced fish with fish sauce, chicken bouillon powder, pepper and the fried garlic for a minimum of 10 minutes.
- Turn the heat on low or completely off, put the fish in to cook using residual or low heat for 5 minutes or until cooked. Note: The low heat will result in silkier fillets.
- Serve hot with fried garlic, chopped spring onions and ginger!
Video
Notes
- Cook enough for each serving. Instead of putting all the marinated pieces in the congee to cook, we like to leave the fillets in a separate bowl and only cook it when someone's about to eat. This means there's extra time to marinate and leaves it tasting fresh every time.
- Go for boneless. Unless the fish is freshly caught, I always opt for boneless. It's much easier to eat!
- Season closer the end. Don't forget the fillets are marinated with sauce and spices. Taste as it simmers, then season to your preference.
- Go for Jasmine rice if you want a grain that breaks down quickly when cooked. Otherwise, use your favorite rice and make sure to keep an eye on it as cooking times will vary from grain to grain.
- This recipe uses ling fish, which can be found in long slabs from the fish monger. You can also use any fish you'd prefer.
- Making fried garlic is completely optional, but it will add so much flavor to your congee. You just have to try it!
This looks so delicious and silky! I am going to try making this very soon, I love the fish and rice combination.
Thanks, Biana! I hope you enjoy it! 😀
Wow, this was my first time trying this and I am so impressed. So flavorful. Will def make again, thank you!!
Thanks, Tawnie! Glad you liked it!
I never would have thought of this as an emergency meal, but I totally have ALL the ingredients! I’m definitely going to make it this week.
Sounds great, Rebecca! Enjoy!
I love congee but have never made it myself!! This looks so good, I need to give it a go 🙂
It’s definitely worth trying! 😉
The meal looks and sounds absolutely divine! I am looking forward to giving it a try 🙂
Thanks, Irina! I hope you enjoy it!
Wow, this is the first time a recipe that calls for the rice grain to be soaked for an hour before cooking! I’m so gonna try your method! I’ve been wondering how to get those restaurant silky consistency ❤️ thank you for posting this recipe!
I hope you love it like we do, Monica! You’re very welcome!
Thank you for your recipe! I finally can make silky smooth congee. So simple, yet so yummy!
You’re very welcome, Ruby! Glad you could enjoy this recipe in the comfort of your own home 😀
Great recipe! Very tasty! The only thing is that I think I’ll use white pepper instead of black pepper next time.
Thank you! That’s a great alternative to black pepper!