Chinese yam, dried oyster and lean pork congee
Dried oysters, a New Year pantry staple, simmered into silky congee with fresh Chinese yam and tender pork — moistening, gentle and easy to digest.
- 1 hr 15 min
- Serves 2
- Simmer
- Easy
Why it suits you: Yin-deficient types often have a dry mouth, warm palms and poor sleep in the dry cold of Major Cold. Dried oysters, a New Year staple, nourish yin and blood; Chinese yam supports the spleen, lungs and kidneys, and lean pork moistens — together a silky, nourishing, easily digested lunch congee.
Method
Prep 15 min · Cook 60 min- 1Soak the dried oysters for about 30 minutes, rinse off any grit and dice. Shred the pork and marinate with a little salt and the cornflour for 10 minutes.
- 2Rinse the rice and mix with the oil and a little salt; leave for 15 minutes.
- 3Bring the water to the boil, add the rice, oysters and ginger, return to the boil, then simmer over low heat for 40 minutes, stirring now and then.
- 4Peel and dice the yam, add it to the congee and simmer for 10 minutes more.
- 5Stir in the pork, simmer for 3 minutes until cooked, then season with salt and scatter with spring onion.
Cautions
- Avoid if allergic to shellfish; people with gout should limit dried oysters.
Chef's tips
- Soak the oysters well and brush them gently with a toothbrush to remove grit; rice marinated with oil and salt cooks into a creamier congee.
The TCM view
Dried oysters are sweet, salty and neutral, nourishing yin and blood and moistening dryness; Chinese yam is sweet and neutral, tonifying the spleen and lungs and securing the kidneys; lean pork is sweet, salty and neutral, nourishing yin; rice nourishes the stomach and generates fluids. Nourishing without heaviness, it suits yin-deficient types at Major Cold.
