Sea bass and bean curd stick congee
Rice and bean curd sticks simmered into a silky congee, with slices of sea bass poached in at the end — tender, warming, easy to digest and gently strengthening.
- 1 hr 5 min
- Serves 2
- Simmer
- Easy
Why it suits you: Qi-deficient people tire easily and have middling appetites, and as Bailu's mornings and evenings cool, a weak stomach copes badly with anything cold. Sea bass strengthens the spleen and boosts qi and is tender and easy to digest; bean curd sticks clear the lungs and nourish the stomach, and rice congee tonifies the middle. Silky and gentle, it's a warming start.
Method
Prep 15 min · Cook 50 min- 1Rinse the rice, mix with a little salt and the oil and leave for 15 minutes. Soak the bean curd sticks until soft and break into small pieces.
- 2Bring the water to the boil, add the rice and bean curd sticks, boil hard for 10 minutes, then simmer over a medium-low heat for 40 minutes until silky, stirring now and then.
- 3Slice the sea bass thinly on the diagonal and mix with a little salt, the pepper, cornflour and shredded ginger.
- 4Bring the congee back to the boil, add the fish and stir gently. Simmer for 1 minute until the fish turns white, then turn off the heat, season with salt and scatter with spring onion.
Cautions
- Choose boned sea bass fillets but still watch for small bones; avoid this if fish disagrees with you.
Chef's tips
- Marinating the rice with salt and oil gives a silkier congee; add the fish last and turn off the heat after a minute so it stays tender.
The TCM view
Sea bass is sweet and neutral, entering the liver, spleen and kidneys — the Jiayou Bencao says it 'tonifies the five organs, strengthens sinews and bones and harmonises the intestines and stomach'. Bean curd sticks are sweet, bland and neutral, clearing the lungs and nourishing the stomach; rice tonifies the middle and boosts qi; ginger warms the middle and removes fishiness.
