Japanese-Style Congee With Crispy Chilli Oil & Sesame Veg

Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C (fan)/ gas 7

Peel and finely chop your shallot[s]

Peel and finely slice (don't chop!) half your garlic

Peel and finely chop (or grate) the remaining garlic

Peel (scrape the skin off with a teaspoon) and finely chop (or grate) your ginger

Boil a kettle, then heat a pot with 2 tbsp [3 tbsp] [4 tbsp] vegetable oil over a medium heat

Once hot, add sliced garlic, half the sliced shallot, half the chopped ginger (you'll use the rest later!) and chilli flakes (can't handle the heat? Go easy!) to the pot with a pinch of salt and cook for 1-2 min or until fragrant and crisp

Once crispy, carefully pour the oil into a heatproof bowl and set aside, reserving the pot – this is your crispy chilli oil

Heat a separate, large pot with a drizzle of vegetable oil over a medium-high heat

Once hot, add the remaining sliced shallot, remaining chopped ginger and chopped garlic with a generous pinch of salt and cook for 1-2 min or until fragrant

Combine your vegetable stock mix and soy sauce with 1.2L [1.6L] [2L] boiled water – this is your soy stock

Once fragrant, add your sushi rice and a pinch of your five-spice mix (save the rest for another recipe!) and cook for 1 min, stirring to coat the grains in the oil

Add the soy stock and cook for 25-30 min, stirring occasionally, or until the stock has thickened and the rice is cooked – this is your Japanese-style congee

Meanwhile, reboil a full kettle

Trim, then slice your spring onion[s]

Wash, then chop the root from your pak choi and separate the leaves, discarding the root

Slice your white cup mushrooms finely

Add the pak choi leaves and sliced mushrooms to a large piece of tin foil (or two!) with a generous splash of cold water and your sesame oil

Season with a pinch of salt and pepper then scrunch the foil around the vegetables to form a tightly sealed parcel[s] and add to a baking tray

Put the tray in the oven for 12-15 min or until the vegetables are tender – this is your sesame veg

Add your egg[s] to the reserved pot, cover with boiled water and bring to the boil over a high heat

Once boiling, cook for exactly 6 min, then fill a bowl of very cold water and add the cooked egg[s] to the bowl to cool down quickly

Peel the cooled egg[s] and slice in half

Season the halved egg[s] with a pinch of salt and pepper