Vietnamese Chicken Congee - Chao Ga
4-6 Servings
0:20 Prep
1:30 Cook
Moderate - You'll be right!
If you love comforting, flavour-packed soups as much as I do, then Cháo Gà is one Vietnamese dish you need to try. This Vietnamese chicken congee combines a fragrant chicken broth with tender rice and poached chicken, served alongside a fresh Vietnamese chicken salad, Gỏi Gà, for a meal that's comforting, vibrant and made for sharing.
What makes my family’s Cháo Gà different is the way we prepare the rice. Rather than putting the rice straight into the broth, we toast the grains first until they're lightly golden and fragrant. Most of the toasted rice goes into the chicken broth to create the congee, while a little is reserved, crushed and tossed through the chicken salad. It’s a simple technique, but it adds another layer of aroma and texture to the dish.
Growing up, I always associated congee with home cooking and family. There's also a common misconception that congee is something you only eat when you're crook or feeling unwell. I can understand where that comes from. A simple bowl of plain congee is gentle, nourishing and exactly what you want when you're under the weather. But that's only one side of congee.
When you make Cháo Gà with a deeply flavoured chicken broth, fragrant toasted rice and tender poached chicken, then serve it with Gỏi Gà, fresh herbs and plenty of texture, it becomes something completely different. It's a dish I'd happily eat any day of the week, but especially when there's a table full of family and friends. That's why I think it works so well for occasions like Mid-Autumn Festival - it's generous, comforting food that's made to be shared.
The hot tip for making my version of Cháo Gà is to toast your rice before cooking it. Toast the grains in a dry pan over medium heat until they're lightly golden and you can smell their fragrance. Heating the grains first helps them cook more individually and reduces the tendency for the rice to stick together as it cooks. It also helps create the lighter, looser consistency I'm looking for in my congee.
The goal isn't a thick, heavy porridge where the rice completely disappears. I like my Cháo Gà to be silky and brothy, with rice that's softened and beginning to break down but still retains some of its texture. Toasting the rice helps you achieve that balance while adding a beautiful toasted aroma to the finished dish.
Don't forget to reserve a couple of tablespoons of the toasted rice for the Gỏi Gà. Once it's ground slightly coarse in a mortar and pestle, it adds a subtle nutty aroma and texture to the salad that works beautifully with the poached chicken, fresh herbs, onion and zesty dressing.
For me, Cháo Gà is a great reminder that congee doesn't have to be reserved for sick days. With a good chicken broth, fragrant rice and plenty of fresh textures, it can be a seriously satisfying meal and the perfect dish to put in the middle of the table for everyone to share.
So, the next time you make congee, give the rice a toast first. It’s a small extra step that can make a big difference to the fragrance, texture and consistency of your Cháo Gà. Grab some SunRice Premium Thai Hom Mali Jasmine Rice, give it a go and discover just how good a bowl of Vietnamese chicken congee can be.
Ingredients:
Congee
1.5kg free range chicken
1 brown onion (bottom cut off)
½ bunch spring onions
1 bunch coriander stalks
Knob of ginger, slightly crushed
15g dried shrimp (optional)
3.5L water
20ml fish sauce
1 teaspoon anchovy salt or sea salt
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon MSG (optional)
Chicken salad
1 brown onion, thinly sliced
1 bunch mint roughly chopped
½ bunch coriander leaves roughly chopped
2 tablespoons toasted SunRice premium jasmine rice
Salad dressing:
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 long red chilli, finely chopped
5 tablespoons sugar
Juice of a lime/lemon
5 tablespoons apple cider vinegar/vinegar
7 tablespoons premium fish sauce
Garnish
½ bunch spring onions finely chopped
½ bunch coriander leaves roughly chopped
White pepper
Chinese donuts cut into chunks
Method:
Congee:
1. Place Chicken in a large stock pot and add remaining ingredients except rice, anchovy salt and fish sauce. Bring to the boil, simmer on low for 15 minutes, then remove the pot from heat and cover for 25 minutes.
2. In the meantime, in a large pan add rice and toast on medium heat until rice grains are lightly golden then reserve 2 tablespoons of toasted rice for the chicken salad.
Duncan’s tip: Toasting the rice makes it more fragrant and reduces its starch levels leading to a congee that is looser in consistency.
3. Remove cooked chicken and place into a large bowl of cold water for 5-7 minutes to stop the cooking process. Shred chicken, set aside for the salad and reserve bones.
4. Return chicken bones to stock pot and bring back to the boil, simmer for 20 minutes then strain well and return to a simmer.
5. Add larger amount of toasted rice to the broth. Cook rice on low-medium heat, occasionally stirring for 15 minutes or until rice grains begin to break down. Season with fish sauce, anchovy salt, sea salt and MSG then remove from heat and set aside.
Vietnamese chicken salad and dressing:
1. Soak onions in cold water for 60 minutes, then strain well and set aside.
2. In a mortar and pestle, ground toasted rice until slightly coarse.
3. In a small bowl combine dressing ingredients and mix well until sugar dissolves
4. In a large bowl combine shredded chicken, onions, ground toasted rice, half the dressing and remaining chicken salad ingredients, toss well then serve immediately on a large plate.
Duncan’s tip: Only dress salad that is going to be consumed to keep salad crisp when serving.
Serving:
1. Ladle congee into a bowl and garnish with spring onions, coriander and cracked white pepper.
2. Serve with Vietnamese chicken salad, with extra dipping sauce on the side for the chicken. Add Chinese donuts alongside the congee — perfect for dipping and helping to refresh the palate.
