When you get a stomach flu or food poisoning, the last thing you want to think about is cooking or eating. But when your appetite gives you the signal that it’s time to start refueling, here’s my best tip:

Congee. A simple, soupy, rice porridge.

Easy to prepare, makes multiple portions, easy to reheat.

So, you only need to muster up the energy to cook once, and you’ll have enough for a few servings.

Your end result is a warm, savory porridge, easy to digest, without any weird “flavors”, nothing to make you feel funky. The carbohydrates in the rice will help restore your energy, and the high volume of water plus the salt helps replenish electrolytes.

I’ve also included my method for making egg congee. Egg congee is like a savory, silky, warm, rice pudding. The combination of rice and egg provides all three macronutrients (carb/protein/fat) to help your body repair and restore. Egg congee usually sounds good on about day 2 after a bad stomach flu or food poisoning.

CONGEE BASIC RECIPE

Ingredients

1/2 cup white rice (basmati, jasmine, sushi rice - all work well)
6 cups water
salt to taste

Instructions

Place rice and water in a medium size soup pot, bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour minimum. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking in the bottom. Cook until rice is very soft. Add more water as you like for an even soupier consistency.

Serve warm, with salt to taste.

EGG CONGEE

Place a portion of precooked, leftover congee into a small saucepan. Add a few tablespoons of water and start to reheat the mixture over medium heat.

Meanwhile, crack one egg into a glass measuring cup or small dish, add a pinch of salt, and whisk with a fork to blend well. When congee is hot and bubbling, pour the egg in and stir vigorously for about 20-30 seconds. The egg will cook very quickly. Serve, at once, with a little bit of extra salt stirred in, to taste.