Shredded Chicken Congee | IDDSI Level 3 Recipe

IDDSI Level 3 (Liquidised) | 45 minutes | Easy

雞絲粥 (shredded chicken congee) is one of the most universally beloved comfort foods in Hong Kong. Silky white rice congee with fine shreds of poached chicken, seasoned with ginger and sesame oil, carries an immediate sensory association with convalescence, care and home. This Level 3 version blends the congee base and chicken together to a smooth, uniform flowing consistency — capturing the nourishing essence of the original dish in a format safe for residents with severe dysphagia.

Ingredients (3 servings)

Main:

• 80g jasmine or long-grain white rice
• 200g chicken breast
• 1.2 litres clear chicken stock (low sodium)
• 5 slices fresh ginger
• 2 spring onion stalks
• 1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine

Seasoning:

• Salt to taste
• White pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• Light soy sauce to taste (optional)

Method

1. Rinse rice once; combine with chicken stock in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a very low simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, for 30 minutes until the rice has broken down into a smooth, silky congee base with no distinct rice grains remaining.
2. While the congee simmers, poach chicken breast in water with ginger and Shaoxing wine for 12 minutes until fully cooked. Remove and let cool slightly; shred finely by hand or with forks.
3. Add shredded chicken to the congee. Continue to simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Remove spring onion and ginger slices. Transfer all contents to a blender; blend on high speed for 90 seconds until completely smooth.
5. Pass through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean saucepan; press firmly to extract all liquid; discard any residue.
6. Return to low heat. Season with salt, white pepper, sesame oil and a small amount of light soy sauce if desired.
7. Confirm Level 3 consistency: tilt a loaded spoon — the congee should flow slowly and continuously. Adjust with warm stock if too thick.

Texture Test

IDDSI Level 3 confirmation: When a spoon is tilted, the blended congee flows slowly and continuously, coating the back of the spoon. No rice grains or chicken fibres remain. The natural rice starch creates a gentle, even thickness. IDDSI syringe test: 1–10ml expelled over 10 seconds.

Safety Notes

Congee thickness — rice congee naturally thickens significantly as it cools; always check and adjust consistency immediately before serving. Add warm stock if it has thickened beyond Level 3.

Sieving — sieving removes any remaining rice grain husks or chicken tendon fibres that could raise the consistency level unpredictably.

Seasoning sodium — use the minimum amount of soy sauce required; residents with hypertension or kidney disease should have this soup prepared without added soy sauce.

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:

• United Kingdom: Wing Yip (Birmingham, London, Manchester), See Woo (London), Loon Fung (London)
• United States: 99 Ranch Market (West Coast), H Mart (East Coast), local Chinatown grocers
• Canada: T&T Supermarket (national chain), local Asian markets
• Australia: Burlington Supermarket, Tang’s, local Chinese grocers in Chinatown precincts
• Singapore & Malaysia: Sheng Siong, NTUC FairPrice (Singapore); Tesco, Mydin (Malaysia)
• Online: Sous Chef (UK/EU), Amazon.com (US), Yami.com (US)

Fresh chicken (whole or boneless): available at Asian butchers; Wing Yip and H Mart stock Cantonese-preferred free-range varieties.

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 190 kcal per serving (250ml), 16g protein, 4g fat, 24g carbohydrates. Congee is one of the most easily digestible carbohydrate sources — the long cooking process partially breaks down the starch, reducing the digestive workload. Combined with chicken’s complete protein, this is one of the most nutritionally complete and digestively gentle Level 3 options available for elderly residents.

Cultural Note

雞絲粥 is perhaps the most universally recognised comfort food in Hong Kong. It is the food that families bring to hospital; the dish made for a returning relative after a long illness; the bowl that signals care. In a care home or hospital setting, the smell of congee simmering carries an immediate emotional resonance that no formulated drink can replicate. Serving this in blended Level 3 form preserves exactly that meaning — familiar nourishment, offered with intention and respect.