Chicken Abalone Porridge

Porridge...aahhhh, the first thing that strike your mind is a bowl of dull, plain porridge serve for the sick. The heart-warming food that your caring mother or your beloved husband will cook for you when you are too weak or worst still if you are bedridden.

Amazingly, a bowl of hot piping porridge can be a delectable palate served on a lazy day when you want a simple, fuss-free meal. There is a wide array of ingredients one can choose from, from seafood, poultry to red meat. You can definitely make the porridge looks more tempting and yummy!

This time, I am going to fix chicken abalone porridge for a quick lunch.

Ingredients needed are (servings for 3 to 4):

• 2 chunks of chicken bone
• a small thumb size of ginger, sliced
• 2 chicken thighs, boiled, shredded and set aside (bone removed)
• 5 big Japan dried scallops (soak in warm water for 5 minutes to soften)
• a can of abalone, abalone thinly sliced
• 2 cups of rice, washed and drained
• salt, and white pepper to season
• spring onion, chopped

Steps to prepare chicken abalone porridge:

1. Bring 4 bowls of water to boil in a pot. Put in chicken bones and ginger. Boil for 30 minutes.
2. Scoop out the bones and ginger from the pot and put in the scallops and washed rice. Let it simmer for about 45 minutes on medium fire.
3. If you wish to retain the abalone juice, you may do so. Pour in the juice into the pot when the porridge is half way cooked.
4. Lastly throw in sliced abalone and cook for another minute or so. Do not let the abalone simmer for long time, as it would be tough and rubbery.
5. Season the porridge with pinch of salt and white pepper to your taste.
6. Dish out hot porridge into a serving bowl, arrange shredded chicken and sliced abalone on top. Sprinkle some chopped spring onion for more flavour.
7. The yummy porridge is now ready with just a dash of extra white pepper powder. ( I prefer pepper powder originated from Sarawak, which gives more oomph and kick)

When I prepare a simple meal, I love to involve my kids. So the shredded chicken was actually their hard work. They will usually eat their meal with pride , knowingly that part of the dish was prepared by them.

As its sufficient just to use chicken bones for above recipe, I love to bring out extra goodness and sweetness of the broth by using premium scallops. It enhances the taste to a greater length. Dried scallop is said to nourish liver and kidneys, activate blood and dissolve lumps, regulate stomach and promote digestion. So go ahead, use scallop generously in your dish for a more flavourful and beneficiary goodness.