Dec 14 2010
Turkey and Ham Rice Porridge (Congee)
This post is extremely overdue, but better late than never, right? This recipe is dedicated to all those people who want to use up their final leftovers of turkey and ham from Thanksgiving – and I don’t mean the actual meat itself. This is when you get down to the bones of the turkey and ham but still want to obtain just one more meal out of it before tossing it out. Making rice porridge (otherwise known as congee , jook, or cháo) is a great way to stretch your leftovers. You’re basically cooking down the bones and creating a flavorful stock that will be the soup base for the porridge. Not only that, but the little pieces of meat still stuck on the bones will be so soft that it it will be quick and easy to pull apart to add to the porridge. We made a huge batch of Turkey and Ham Rice Porridge and shared it with our family who willingly savored and enjoyed the soup. Keep this recipe in mind for next year when Thanksgiving rolls around or even for Christmas if you plan to serve turkey and ham. We are all about stretching our leftover ingredients to the max!
Take your leftover turkey and ham and put it in a large stock pot. To this, add some chopped carrots, onion, and celery. Then, fill it up with water until all the bones are covered, about 20 cups. Bring this to a boil and reduce to simmer for 2 hours. It should reduce to about 16 cups of stock.
Next, strain the stock and remove the bones and vegetables. Put the stock back into the pot. Now, take a fork and shred the meat off the bones and set aside.
Bring the 16 cups of stock to medium heat and add 2 cups of jasmine long grain rice. Reduce to simmer and cook for 1.5 hours or until soup has a creamy consistency. Be sure to stir once in awhile so the rice does not stick to the bottom of the pot.
Add the shredded turkey and ham back into the pot and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Some people prefer their rice porridge to be very liquidy, so add a little bit more water until desired consistency.
To serve, garnish with green onion, cilantro, and fried onion. This simple and soothing rice porridge is a great meal for breakfast, which is very customary in Asian cultures. Why waste the leftover turkey and ham bones when you can make another satisfying meal out of it? And of course, you don't need to feel under the weather to enjoy this comforting soup.
To view or print-out this recipe, click here: Turkey and Ham Rice Porridge
Here are some related posts we’ve done in the past:
Duck Ravioli with Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Sauce
Ramen with Duck Stock
Toscana Soup with Homegrown Kale
Awesome post on what to do with leftover ham and turkey! Porridge surely is a comforting dish to have in this weather.
Creative! Never had turkey and ham congee but I would definitely love to try it out.
this qualifies as one of the most unique and appetizing ways to use leftovers. excellent post–it was worth the wait.
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Congee is one of my all time favourites.
Philippines has a similar dish called arroz caldo
Matthew
.-= Matthew´s last blog ..Cuisine Focus – Persian – Distinction Through Food =-.
Hi Matthew, thanks for letting us know the Filipino term for congee!
That is a seriously interesting recipe. I can honestly say I’ve never had congee, but it looks like this version would be nice and rich with flavor.
.-= Alisa Fleming´s last blog ..My Christmas Gift List … =-.
I’m going to give this one a try! We froze a LOT of turkey left overs. This is the most unique “Thanksgiving leftover” recipe I’ve seen. I’ve also always wanted to try Congee but am always nervous to order it, so I’ll make it at home. The closest I’ve had is arroz caldo which is a Filipino dish. Thanks guys.
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Excellent way to get more mileage out of leftovers, and a nice contrast to the usual Christmas food too.
Looks like the perfect consistency!
.-= Conor @ HoldtheBeef´s last blog ..International Colour Incident – Merry Cherry Bruschetta =-.
This is something I could use right about now! Hope you guys had a great holiday season!
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