1 cupricerinsed and drained 4scallops, dried 8 cupschicken stock 1.5 lbJapanese kabocha 1 tspsaltor to taste 1 tspsugar 1 tspsoy sauce, light 2 tbspshaoxing wine 1green onionoptional
  1. Cook rice as per normal in a rice cooker (or stove if that's your usual.) This will take about 40 minutes in a rice cooker. (Note that the pumpkin only requires 10 minutes or so of boiling to be cooked FYI so don't start boiling just yet.)
  2. At the same time, rinse then soak your dried scallops in 1 Cup of hot water to soften (covered.) Don't wash off all the white powder you see on the scallops- these are usually the "umami" bits!
  3. 15-20 minutes before you want to serve your meal, bring a pot of chicken stock to the boil. Add the pumpkin cubes and dried scallops, along with the soaking water. Boil for about 10 minutes or till the pumpkin is soft enough to pierce with a fork. Mash the pumpkin or blend with hand blender
  4. Lower the heat to a simmer and add the soy sauce and sugar to the congee
  5. Add the shaoxing wine and cooked rice. Stir, taste and season with salt if necessary. (If you are using unsalted homemade chicken stock, salting is crucial here.)
  6. Garnish with spring onions before serving.