Chao Long

Name: Chao Long
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 4 to 6
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: 150 g rice porridge; 200 g offal; 1 L pork broth; 1 handful herbs; 1 tbsp fish sauce; to taste fine sea salt

25 minutes prep 45 minutes cook Serves 4 to 6 meat

Chao Long, a staple of Vietnamese morning stalls, invites early risers with its hearty embrace of rice porridge and rich offal. Traditionally, this dish is crafted with a generous hand, measuring salt by instinct and balancing flavors with a practiced eye. This recipe captures the essence of a family kitchen, where each ingredient is a familiar friend and the result is a comforting bowl of goodness shared among loved ones.

The dish offers a symphony of textures and flavors: the creamy porridge melds with tender offal, all harmonized by a savory pork broth. A handful of fresh herbs and a dash of fish sauce elevate the dish, while fine sea salt ties it all together, creating a comforting, aromatic experience that lingers long after the bowl is empty.

Ingredients

150 grice porridge
200 goffal
1 Lpork broth
1 handfulherbs
1 tbspfish sauce
to tastefine sea salt

Method

Begin by preparing the offal. Clean and rinse 200 g of offal thoroughly under cold water to remove any impurities. Slice the offal into bite-sized pieces, ensuring uniformity for even cooking. Set aside.
In a large pot, pour in 1 L of pork broth and bring it to a gentle simmer over medium heat. This will be the base of your Chao Long, providing a rich and savory flavor. Carefully add the sliced offal to the simmering broth, allowing it to cook until it turns tender and slightly opaque, indicating doneness.
Once the offal is cooked, add 150 g of rice porridge to the pot. Stir gently to combine and ensure the rice porridge is evenly distributed throughout the broth. Continue to simmer, allowing the flavors to meld together and the porridge to absorb the savory essence of the broth.
As the porridge simmers, add 1 tablespoon of fish sauce to the pot. Stir well to incorporate the fish sauce, which will enhance the umami flavor of the dish. Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning with fine sea salt to your preference, keeping in mind that the fish sauce is already salty.
Finally, prepare a handful of fresh herbs such as cilantro or scallions. Roughly chop the herbs and add them to the pot just before serving. The herbs will infuse the Chao Long with a fresh aroma and a burst of color, completing the dish. Serve hot, allowing everyone to enjoy the comforting and aromatic flavors of this traditional Vietnamese porridge.