Ginger Chicken Jook 2.0
I first wrote a recipe for ginger chicken jook for my blog, Eat Cho Food, in January 2017. It was my second official recipe as a self-proclaimed “recipe developer". I’m not going to link it here because I feel a little embarrassed, but we all have to start somewhere. It’s not the most well written recipe, but if you follow it I’m pretty sure it would still result in a comforting “hug in a bowl,” as 26 year old me states. I’ve since made some version of this chicken ginger jook over 50 times in the last 9 years, all varying just slightly because jook is a practice more than a recipe. The essentials you need are rice/grains, water/broth, and time.
This is the latest iteration of ginger chicken jook that I prepared and froze for myself. It uses a blend of jasmine, short grain brown rice, and millet for the grains, giving it a slightly nutty delicious flavor and a little more nutrition. Each portion gets an entire chicken thigh for protein and in the future when we reheat these again I’ll be topping with pork floss, some redskin peanuts, and maybe even a century egg!
Enjoy!
Ginger Chicken Jook 2.0
Serves 6
16 cups water
24oz (about 6) bone-in and skin-on chicken thighs
6 cloves garlic, smashed
3-inch piece of ginger, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
6 green onions, trimmed and cut into 4-inch pieces
6 dried scallops, optional
2 tsp coarse salt
1/2 cup jasmine rice
1/2 cup short grain brown rice
1/2 cup millet
1/2 tsp white pepper
Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the chicken, ginger, garlic, green onions, dried scallop (if using) and salt. Bring the water back up to a simmer and reduce the temperature to medium-low or low to maintain a simmer. Continue to simmer the chicken until very tender, 35 to 40 minutes. Skim off the purities off the top as it simmers. Transfer the chicken to a platter and let it cool for 15 minutes. Debone the chicken (it should be tender enough to be removed easily) and slice into strips. Transfer to the fridge while you prepare the jook.
Place the jasmine rice, brown rice, and millet in a mesh strain and give it a quick rinse. Add the grains to the broth and immediately give it a stir, scraping the bottom, so the grains don’t stick. Adjust the temperature to maintain a simmer and cover with a lid, leaving a slight gap for steam to escape. Stir every 10 minutes or so, making sure to scrape the bottom, until the jook thickens and becomes creamy, 50 to 60 minutes. As it continues to thicken you may need to adjust and lower the heat slightly. Taste and add white pepper and/or more salt, feel free to add a little more per your liking.
If serving immediately, portion the jook into bowls and either top or stir in the chicken.
If preparing to freeze in single portions, allow the jook to fully cool. Then portion into 6 containers and top with sliced chicken. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To reheat, you can either defrost in the fridge overnight or defrost by microwaving at 50% power for about 10 minutes (enough that it’s loose enough to remove from the container). Fully reheat by warming in a saucepan over medium heat until hot and creamy. You may need to add a little bit more water to get the consistency you like.
Love the addition of millet. I’ll be making this when I come home from my trip and need something nourishing and comforting.
Yum! A sort of comforting congee, it reads like. Saving this. Will try with duck (because I raise my own ducks and there's a lot in the freezer right now :D ).