Silky Seafood Congee

Step 1

Peel the ginger with a small spoon or vegetable peeler, then mince it finely until the pieces are smaller than a grain of rice — about pencil-tip dots in size.

Step 2

Mince the garlic cloves until the pieces are the same tiny size as the ginger, smaller than a grain of rice.

Step 3

Slice the white and light green parts of the scallions crosswise into thin rings about 1/8-inch wide; place them in a small bowl.

Step 4

Slice the dark green scallion tops the same way and place them in a separate small bowl — these will garnish the dish just before serving.

Step 5

Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels and place them on a plate; pat the scallops dry and place them on the same plate.

Step 6

Pour 6 cups of stock into a large pot and bring it to a rolling boil over high heat, about 4 minutes — you'll see large bubbles breaking the surface rapidly.

Step 7

Pour the rice into the boiling stock, stir once with a wooden spoon, then reduce the heat to medium-low so the liquid simmers gently.

Step 8

Stir the rice once every 2 minutes and cook uncovered for 25 minutes, until the rice grains have mostly broken down and the mixture looks very creamy and thick.

Step 9

Add the minced ginger and minced garlic to the pot and stir gently with a wooden spoon for 30 seconds until the garlic and ginger are fully mixed in and smell fragrant.

Step 10

Pour in 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and stir gently until the color is even throughout — about 10 seconds.

Step 11

Slide the shrimp and scallops into the simmering congee, pushing them gently into the rice with a wooden spoon to submerge them.

Step 12

Cook, stirring gently once every 15 seconds, for 4 minutes until the shrimp turn from gray to opaque pink and the scallops look opaque white throughout with no gray center.

Step 13

Divide the congee into two deep bowls, spooning equal amounts of rice, broth, and seafood into each bowl.

Step 14

Scatter the white and light green scallion rings evenly over the surface of each bowl.

Step 15

Top each bowl with the dark green scallion slices in a small mound in the center and serve immediately while steaming hot.