Chicken and ginger congee

Serves 4 or more

1½ litres chicken stock or water
2cm piece ginger, peeled and finely sliced
½ cup jasmine rice
200g skinless chicken thigh fillet, diced into 1cm pieces
2 tsp Shaoxing (Chinese rice wine) 
½ tsp sesame oil 
1-2 Tbs light soy sauce, to taste
Coarsely ground white pepper
Finely sliced shallot, to serve
Fried eschallots, to serve 

Bring the chicken stock, water and ginger to a boil in a large heavy based saucepan over a high heat. Add the rice and reduce the heat to medium–low. Simmer steadily for 1 hour, covered, stirring occasionally to prevent the rice from catching - until thickened and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Add the chicken to the congee, cover and simmer for 4-5 minutes or until the chicken is just cooked. Add the shaoxing and season to taste with sesame and soy. Check the consistency at this point – it should be more soupy than ‘rice’. Add a little more water if necessary and keep checking your seasoning for balance. Serve the congee in bowls, sprinkle with the shallots and top with ground pepper.