Preparing stock for baby congee

Congee is a very important meal for any Chinese toddler. Like any parent, I am always searching and experimenting with ways to make a nutritious and delicious meal that my little one would enjoy. That is why I think the soup/stock is a very important part of the meal.

Personally, I prefer to prepare my own stock when cooking porridge or congee for the little one.

This is because the little one could be picky at times!

I almost always combine 2 ingredients when preparing the stock: meat and bait/anchovies.

Meat for the flavor  (肉頭 for 6mo - 1+ yrs, 腰子肉 or pork ribs are also fine for toddlers), and anchovies for some saltiness and iron.

You could either slice the meat, or mince it. Up to you.

 

Steps:

Using a 6-inch pot, fill slightly more than half with filtered water.

Throw in a handful of anchovies/bait and bring water to a boil. I usually use 2-3 tablespoons of bait, or 4-5 tablespoons of anchovies.

Blanch the meat if you prefer clear soup beforehand.

Once boiling, add the meat to the stock. Boil at medium heat for around 1 hour to bring out the flavor. Add some boiled water from time to time to avoid the stock running dry.

More:

Depending on what I have in the refrigerator, I will also throw in some vegetables for that extra flavor. 

- Spinach stems (boiled and removed)

- 1 long Celery stalk (the thickest parts, chopped finely)

- One or two Potatoes (boiled and removed skin). You wouldn't want to use too many potatoes as the stock would turn starchy.

- Carrots

- Several stalks of spring onions

- Sweet corn

- 2-3 slices of American Ginseng (Pao Shen) for 2yrs old and above.

- Green onions / tomatoes

Happy cooking!