Thanksgiving Turkey Congee

1. Place dried scallops and dried mushrooms in a bowl; pour in hot water to cover and let stand to rehydrate, about 10 minutes. Rinse and drain rice; set aside.

2. Separate any meat from bones of turkey carcass; set aside. Place bones and 9 cups hot water in a large stockpot and bring to a boil. Drain mushrooms and scallops; squeeze out any excess water. Break scallops into smaller pieces; slice mushrooms thinly.

3. Stir scallops, mushrooms, rice, and turkey meat into the stockpot; reduce heat to allow congee to simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally for a smooth congee, until rice is tender and congee is thick, about 2 hours. If you like a thinner congee, stir in hot water a few tablespoons at a time.

4. Ladle congee into individual bowls; top each bowl with cilantro, green onions, ginger, peanuts, red onion, sesame oil, and white pepper as desired.

Cook's Notes:

Congee is both a very basic and very forgiving meal to make. There are many varieties, and after you have made it a few times, you will develop a preference for the water-to-rice ratio, add-ons, toppings, and seasonings. The ratio I put in this recipe makes a thicker congee, which I prefer, but you can always make it thinner. (It is easier to thin it out as you are cooking than the reverse!)

Note that you can leave the bones in the pot while you ladle out the congee.

If you have an Asian market near you, you can also buy fried doughnuts (also called fried crullers) to serve with the congee.

Leftover congee will thicken, so when you reheat it the next day, you can stir in a tiny bit of water if desired.

Look for the dried red onions mentioned in the Toppings in Asian markets or the International aisle of the supermarket.