Healing Mushroom Congee with pickled radish and sesame

Mushrooms are packed with immune boosting compounds and nourish our bodies and minds. This congee is a twist on a age old rice porridge and is perfect to give to someone under the weather or needing some TLC.

Mushroom Congee (serves 4) 

Ingredients

3/4 cup - Long Grain Rice, (ahead of time wash and freeze for 8 hrs)
1 quart - Mushroom or Veg Broth
2’’ nob - Ginger, peeled & minced
5 each - Garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp - Sesame Oil
2 tbsp - Soy Sauce
1 - 4’’ piece of Astragalus
3 tbsp - EVOO
1/2 lb sliced - Shiitake Mushroom
1/3 lb bite size pieces - Maitake Mushroom
1/8 cup Radish - sliced, 1/8” thin
2 tbsp - Lemon or Rice Vinega
Salt
2 tsp - Honey, Maple or Sugar
3 each - Scallion, sliced
Gomasio or Furikake

METHOD

Congee

• Mince garlic and ginger. Divide in half. In a sauce pot, heat 1 tbsp of sesame oil and sweat half of the ginger and garlic until aromatic.

• Add rice and lightly toast it, coating rice with oil. Add 1 quart of mushroom broth + 2 cups of water + 1 tbsp soy sauce + astragalus.

• Simmer the rice until it is broken down and a porridge like consistency ~ 1 hour for regular rice and 20 min for pre frozen rice.

• Season with salt and a drizzle of honey.

Salted Radish

• Slice radish and toss in vinegar and drizzle of honey. Season with salt and let sit.

Ginger Mushrooms

• Over medium heat add 2 tbsp oil. Add mushrooms to pan, making sure it is not too crowded (it may require two batches).

• Let sit until golden brown, about 3 min. Toss and cook another min. Add the remaining ginger, garlic and 1/2 the scallion. Cook for another 2 min. Add 2 tsp of soy sauce and a squeeze of lemon.

• Season to taste. Remove from heat.

TO FINISH

• Portion congee into bowl, top with mushroom, radish, scallions, gomasio and a drizzle of sesame oil