I thought Angela didn’t like eggs unless they were hidden in pastry or cakes etc, but I was just informed that she actually didn’t mind some of the ways eggs are prepared. I, on the other hand, love eggs. They are so versatile and delicious cooked anyway. 
So I thought I’d share my favorite way to prepare a special and different type of egg. It’s called “Century Egg and Lean Pork Congee”. I made this the other day for my brunch (I over slept), so the pictures are my own. Century Eggs or 100 year old Egg, for the uninitiated, is usually a duck egg that has been preserved in a clay, salt, lime, ash and straw mix for a few weeks.
I don’t know the chemical affects of the process, but it turns the egg white into a brown jelly like consistency and the yolk turns a partially creamy, bluish green, almost like mold colour. The taste of this egg on its own is slightly tart and almost like blue cheese, so it is more of an acquired taste.
You can buy it form most Asian grocers now, as it is rather popular, and to make life easier they already washed the mud off the eggs. Contrary to popular beliefs (due to its name) it is not preserved for 100 years. I think it was one of those poetic names bestowed upon the humble preserved egg by our ancestors. An easy way to serve this is sliced into quarters and eaten with a slice of pickled ginger. Yummy! Or the more common way is to have it in a congee. Congee is a savory rice porridge eaten throughout East Asia for breakfast or as a light lunch. So here is my recipe for Pwei Tan Sow Yok Chok (Century Egg and Lean Pork Congee).
You start with your basic congee, which is made with just lots of water and a little bit of rice, boil th eheck out of it until it is to the consitency you like. I prefer mine thick, but if you find it too thick add more water. I think it is about 4 parts water to 1 part of rice. When we make a large pot of it we tend to use just half a cup of rice in a big pot filled up to the halfway point with water.
While that is cooking, slice up into tiny little shreds, some lean pork. I’m talking pork with preferably no fat on it. I like to boil my egg first, but I don’t think you have to. (I have a paranoid mother, I’ve picked up her habits. :S) cut up the egg into iddy biddy pieces, keeping in mind the taste is strong and its not cheap for an egg.
When the congee is mostly a soupy consistency, add the pork and season with salt and white pepper. Add chicken stock if you want, then add the egg pieces. Taste it and adjust to your tastes. Serve piping hot with a drop of sesame oil a sprinkling of finely chopped spring onions, and deep fried wonton pastry pieces if you want. Enjoy!
