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Level 3 Moderately Thick
Prep: 50 min Difficulty: Easy Main ingredient: chicken-liver
#level-3#chicken-liver#congee#cantonese#iron-rich#anaemia#liquidised#smooth#breakfast

Chicken Liver Congee | IDDSI Level 3 Recipe

IDDSI Level 3 (Liquidised) | 50 minutes | Easy

Chicken liver congee (雞肝粥) is a traditional Cantonese restorative dish, long prescribed by grandmothers and herbalists alike as a remedy for blood deficiency and anaemia. Chicken liver is one of the most concentrated dietary sources of haem iron and vitamin B12 available — a single 80g serving provides over 100% of the daily recommended iron intake. For elderly residents who are at high risk of iron-deficiency anaemia (a common but under-recognised condition in care home populations), this congee offers a culturally familiar and genuinely effective dietary intervention. At IDDSI Level 3 (Liquidised), the congee flows freely from a spoon, and the liver is finely minced and cooked through completely into the smooth base.

Ingredients (3–4 servings)

Congee base:

Chicken liver:

Method

  1. Rinse the rice and soak in cold water for 30 minutes if time allows. This shortens cooking time and produces a silkier base.
  2. Bring stock or water to a boil. Add rice, salt and oil. Return to boil, reduce to low simmer, cover with lid slightly ajar, and cook 40–45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until the rice has fully dissolved into a smooth, flowing base.
  3. While the congee cooks, trim the chicken livers carefully — remove any sinew, connective tissue, and any pale green patches (bile duct remnants which are bitter). Rinse thoroughly under cold running water.
  4. Finely mince the livers using a sharp knife or food processor until the texture resembles coarse mince — pieces should be 3mm or smaller. Combine with soy sauce, cornflour, ginger juice, sesame oil and white pepper. Marinate for 10 minutes.
  5. Once the congee base is ready, bring to a full rolling boil over high heat. Add the marinated minced liver in small batches, stirring continuously to break apart any clumps. Cook for 2–3 minutes until the liver is completely cooked through — no pink or translucent areas should remain. Liver must be fully cooked for food safety.
  6. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir gently for a further 2 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.
  7. Level 3 consistency check: The congee should flow continuously from a tilted spoon and settle flat within 5 seconds. If too thick, stir in hot stock until the desired flowing consistency is achieved.

Texture Test

Flow test: Passes Level 3 — pours in a continuous stream from a tilted spoon; surface levels within 5 seconds of being poured into a bowl; does not hold a mound or peak shape.

Particle check: Liver mince fully incorporated into the congee; individual particles are 3mm or smaller; no discrete chunks remain. The texture is smooth and flowing throughout.

Spoon test: A spoonful returned to the bowl levels itself within 5 seconds; no spoon impression retained.

Safety Notes

⚠️ Liver must be fully cooked — chicken liver must be cooked until no pink remains throughout. Raw or undercooked poultry liver carries a risk of Campylobacter. Allow a full 2–3 minutes at a rolling boil after adding the liver.

⚠️ Bile duct removal — any green-stained areas on the liver must be trimmed away before cooking. These impart extreme bitterness and are inedible.

⚠️ Consistency on cooling — the congee thickens significantly as it cools. Always reheat with additional stock or water and recheck flow consistency before serving to residents.

⚠️ Vitamin A content — liver is extremely rich in preformed vitamin A (retinol). For residents on vitamin A supplements or with liver conditions, limit to 1–2 servings per week to avoid excessive intake.

Sourcing Outside Hong Kong

For international care kitchens and home cooks outside Hong Kong, Cantonese ingredients are widely available at East and Southeast Asian grocery stores:

Chicken liver: mainstream supermarket butcher counters; widely available.

If a specific ingredient is unavailable in your region, the recipe notes alternative substitutions in the Ingredients section. For dishes requiring fresh Cantonese-specific ingredients (e.g. preserved century egg, fresh rice noodle rolls), check with your local East Asian grocer before substituting — texture compliance for IDDSI levels may require specific products.

Nutrition

Approximately 175 kcal per serving (about 280ml), 16g protein, 6g fat, 7mg iron (approximately 50% of daily recommended intake per serving). Chicken liver is one of the richest natural sources of haem iron (more bioavailable than plant iron), vitamin B12, folate and vitamin A. This congee is particularly recommended for elderly residents with confirmed or suspected iron-deficiency anaemia, low appetite, or fatigue. The smooth, flowing texture requires minimal oral processing effort, making it suitable even for residents with severe dysphagia.

Cultural Note

In traditional Cantonese medicine, chicken liver is considered a tonic for the blood and is prescribed for conditions corresponding to what Western medicine classifies as iron-deficiency anaemia. Grandmothers across Hong Kong and Guangdong have made this congee for generations as a restorative after illness, childbirth, or prolonged fatigue. Serving it in a care home setting carries deep cultural resonance — it signals care and attention to the specific person, not just the provision of generic nutrition.

Variation

⚠️ This recipe is for reference only. Texture varies by technique and ingredients. A speech therapist should confirm the appropriate IDDSI level.
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