I LOVE porridge, risotto, grits, anything in that comforting soupy realm is all good. Growing up in a Taiwanese household, we didn't eat egg mcmuffins, waffles, or pancakes for breakfast. We ate porridge. It is so comforting to me to eat a warm bowl of porridge with some eggs or veggies on the side during the cold winter mornings. Gives me the strength to face the day, well at least until lunch. ><
So this is my favorite winter time breakfast: a simple Kabocha Squash (Japanese winter squash) porridge with a side of pan fried eggs over medium.
There are two hidden ingredients that makes this meal so delish: sesame oil and white pepper.
Any self-respecting cook of Asian cuisine should have these two items in their pantry at all times.
Sesame oil has a very strong rich flavor that just resonnates "Asia" so be careful...a little goes a long way!
White pepper powder gives just enough heat and slight punch with almost a curry-like flavor as well. It's warming and not as invasive or sharp as cracked black pepper. TIP: get the white peppercorns instead of the powder. Freshly cracked white peppercorns are so much more potent so you need a lot less than the packaged powder.
Quick note about the following recipes: all the ingredient measurements are just approximates to taste and preference.
Kabocha Porridge
1 cup of raw rice cooked in 3 cups of chicken stock (about 1 hour)
OR
1 cup of cooked (day old) rice cooked in 2 cups of chicken stock over medium low heat saucepan for about 10-15 minutes
* Cooking time is dependent on your preferred consistency of the porridge. The longer you cook it, the more the rice breaks down in the porridge and the thicker it gets.
When the porridge is about 5 minutes to preferred consistency, cut the Kabocha into 1 inch bite size pieces and drop into porridge to cook the remaining 5 minutes.
* To see if Kabocha is cooked through take a toothpick or chopstick and stick it through a piece of the squash. If it goes through easily then it's done.
Pinch of salt and crack of white pepper to taste.
Fried Eggs in Sesame Oil
Add about a teaspoon of cooking oil and a half teaspoon of sesame oil to a nonstick pan over medium high heat. When you see a little smoke coming off the pan and the oils move easily across the pan, crack 1 or 2 eggs into the pan.
Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and when you see a slight brown edge forming, flip the egg(s) over with a spatula. Cook for another minute, turn off the heat, and remove eggs from the pan. Sprinkle more salt to taste.
If you like egg yolks more runny then only cook the eggs for a 15-30 seconds after the flip. The idea behind a good fried egg is to get that brown crisp edge.
