Shunde-style Cantonese congee

Rinse the jasmine rice under running water.

Marinate the rice with the salt and peanut oil and let it sit twenty minutes until softened.

Spread the rice on a board and crush it gently with a pestle or rolling pin; unevenly broken is fine.

Variation: the marinated broken rice freezes; start from frozen with no thaw and it breaks down faster, giving congee in thirty minutes.

Bring the water, crushed ginger, white pepper and dried scallop to a rapid boil.

Sprinkle in the broken rice, return to a rapid boil, then drop to medium for a heavy simmer with the lid cracked by a chopstick so it cannot overflow.

Simmer thirty minutes to a thick creamy base, then shut off the heat.

For the fish finishing, slice the fillet at an angle into half centimetre pieces, mix with salt, MSG, white pepper and cornstarch, then coat with peanut oil.

Bring the base to a rapid boil, season, slide in the fish and shut off the heat; mix gently and let residual heat cook it. Finish with chopped scallion and cilantro.

For the meatball finishing, hand mince the ground pork a couple of minutes until sticky, season, and mix in one direction for two minutes until it leaves streaks on the bowl.

Optionally fold in minced wood ear, then finish with half a tablespoon of peanut oil.

Heat and season the congee, drop to low, spoon the pork into rough balls one by one, then raise to high and boil one minute. Top with cilantro and scallion.

Variation: for the carbonara congee add the pancetta and pecorino to the bubbling base, crack in an egg and immediately shut off the heat so the residual heat sets it rather than poaching it. Pour out and finish with chopped scallion.