Because we’ll be adding the green onions, ginger, and cilantro as a very final garnish without cooking, we’ll want to chop them finely, and use only the milder parts of the green onion.

Cut off the green parts of the green onions (2 stalk) and dice them up. Save the white parts for another recipe. Ginger Scallion Sauce, anyone?

Cut the ginger (1 oz) into thin slices, then cut into very thin strips.

Roughly chop the cilantro (0.25 oz); you may want to chop the pungent stems more finely, but that’s all up to you!

Set these aside for later.

Squeeze out any excess water from the fish fillets (10 oz). They are safer to cut when they’re not as slippery, and drier fillets will better absorb the seasoning.

When cutting the fish into pieces, keep in mind you’ll be cooking them by swirling them in hot congee, so you’ll want thin enough pieces that’ll cook through. At the same time, remember that fish is a rather delicate protein, prone to falling apart, so cut the pieces large enough so they’ll have some structural integrity.

At an angle, so you’ll have wider pieces, slice the fish into pieces roughly 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick. Put the fish slices in a bowl, but push them to the side. We’ll mix up the marinade on the other side of the bowl, then mix everything all together.

To make the marinade, combine cornstarch (1 tbsp), salt (0.50 tsp), white pepper (0.25 tsp), and water (1 tbsp). Stir well until the solid ingredients dissolve, then mix everything gently with the fish slices.

Then, separate an egg and add only the egg white to the fish. This is important for preserving the beautiful white color of the fish. Gently mix the egg white in. We suggest using chopsticks so that you can mix thoroughly while keeping your touch gentle.

Add oil (1 tbsp) and gently mix that in as well.

Wash the rice (0.50 lb) 3 times, pouring out the starchy water and using clean water each time. The water should run much clearer after the 3rd round.

Add water (6 cup) to a large pot. Use more water if you like a thinner consistency in your congee, but it’s easier to err on the side of slightly less water and dilute it later than it is to add too much water at the beginning and then have to thicken it at the end.

Turn the heat to high. Once the water comes to a boil, add the washed rice. Give the rice a good stir. When the pot comes back up to a boil, don’t stir it anymore! That’s how you prevent the congee from sticking to the pot and burning.

Add oil (1 tbsp), then turn to low heat, and put the lid on the pot. Cook on low for 25 minutes.

Uncover the pot, then carefully whisk the congee quickly for 1-2 minutes. This will break up the rice grains quickly and create a luscious, thick congee base. Just be careful of steam and hot splashes.

Check the consistency as you’re whisking. Add more water if the congee is too thick; my dad added 2 extra ladles of water here.

The congee base is complete! This is the time to throw in meats, vegetables, toppings, and garnishes.

Slowly add in the fish, nudging them apart and spreading them out through the congee so they don’t stick together. Since the congee is hot and the fish is in thin slices, the fish will cook through quickly.

Lower the heat and mix the fish around in the congee. Add the thin strips of ginger and white pepper (0.25 tsp) and mix them in as well. Season with salt (1 tsp) and fish sauce (1 tsp) and stir well.

Turn off the heat and transfer to a large serving bowl, or into individual portions. Garnish with the chopped green onions and cilantro. Enjoy!