Rice Cakes with a Delicious Twist

Congee is a soothing rice porridge, often enjoyed in a warm bowl for its comforting, cold-busting qualities. My first attempt at making it at home didn’t go as planned—I used too much rice and it became too thick. But the next day, the leftovers transformed into crispy, delicious rice cakes. Here's how a kitchen mishap turned into a culinary win.

I've had plenty of congee at restaurants, topped with everything from shredded pork and dried shrimp to chili oil. At Kraken Congee in Seattle’s Pioneer Square, they offer an incredible variety, including five-spice duck, pork belly adobo, and seasonal seafood. It's a dish I never tried making at home, as the experts do it so well. But one day, after making homemade chicken stock and having some shiitake mushrooms on hand, I had a craving for something warm and savory. However, I accidentally added too much rice to the boiling broth, turning my congee into a gloopy pilaf. While the flavor was fine, the texture wasn’t what I had hoped for.

As I was spooning the thick congee into a container, an idea struck me: What if I gave it an Italian twist? I could transform it into something resembling arancini, the iconic Sicilian appetizer. Luckily, I had a jumbo bag of Panko breadcrumbs and my fridge was stocked with Sriracha mayo and sweet chili sauce—perfect condiments for this cross-cultural fusion dish.

In the end, I skipped stuffing mozzarella inside the rice and instead flattened the traditional arancini ball into more of a cake. I simply coated a couple of spoonfuls of congee with breadcrumbs and sautéed them for a few minutes on each side in neutral canola oil. It paired beautifully with seared salmon, and next time, I’ll top it with a fried egg and call it brunch.

Explore more rice dishes, right here.