Rice & Fried Rice · Chinese home cooking
Spinach and Pork Liver with Baby Rice Cereal
Finely minced pork liver and blanched spinach are stirred into a smooth rice cereal cooked with extra water, giving a mild, spoonable bowl with a faint iron note and a soft green colour.
About this dish
Liver needs a short soak before heat: ten minutes in salted water pulls back the metallic edge and leaves a faintly sweet smell. I mince it almost to a paste so no chewy bits survive in a bowl meant for small spoons. Spinach is blanched barely a minute, squeezed dry and chopped fine, which stops its colour bleeding grey into the cereal. The rice cooks well past the usual point, until the grains collapse into pale, glossy cream. Ginger and a few drops of oil round it off.
Before you start
Equipment: Pot, Blender. Tap the ingredient checkboxes as you go.
Method
6 steps · tick each one off as you finish it.
Soak and mince the liver
Soak 120 g liver in 300 ml cold water with a pinch of the salt off the heat for 10 minutes until the water turns pink and the raw smell fades. Drain, mince finely and toss with 1 tsp cornflour.
Blanch the spinach
Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat for 4 minutes, add 100 g spinach and blanch 45 seconds until it wilts and turns bright green. Lift it out, cool, squeeze dry and chop finely off the heat.
Start the cereal
Rinse 120 g rice for 30 seconds and drain twice until the water runs clear. Put it in a pot with 700 ml water and 1 tsp ginger, and bring to a boil over high heat for 5 minutes until it foams.
Simmer until collapsed
Drop to low heat and simmer 20 minutes, stirring every 4 minutes, until the grains collapse and a spoon dragged through leaves a slow-closing trail. Add 60 g carrot after 10 minutes so it softens without losing its shape.
Add liver and greens
Slide 120 g minced liver into the pot over low heat, stirring constantly for 3 minutes until every fleck turns grey-brown and no pink remains. Fold in 100 g chopped spinach for 1 minute until the cereal takes on a soft, even green.
Rest and serve
Stir in 1 tsp oil and 1/4 tsp salt off the heat for 30 seconds until the surface turns glossy. Rest 3 minutes off the heat until the cereal thickens enough to hold a spoon-mark, then serve warm in small bowls.
Tips that matter
- Do not skip the salted soak; it is the only step that removes the sharp metallic note from the liver.
- Squeeze the blanched spinach firmly, since the extra water would thin the cereal and dull its colour.
Easy variations
- Replace the liver with 120 g minced chicken thigh and simmer 2 minutes longer.
- Blend the finished cereal for 30 seconds for a completely smooth texture.
Questions that come up
Why does the liver taste strong?
It was soaked too briefly or cooked over heat that was too high. Give it the full 10 minutes in salted water and add it only once the pot is at a bare simmer.
Can I prepare this ahead?
Yes, refrigerate for up to 24 hours and reheat over low heat with 60 ml water, stirring 3 minutes until it loosens back to a spoonable cream.
Nutrition, roughly
| Energy | 285 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 17 g |
| Carbohydrate | 44 g |
| Fat | 5 g |
Estimated per serving from standard ingredients, rounded. Treat it as a guide, not clinical data.
Rice, Water and Heat: A Ratio Field Guide
Why one cup of rice does not always want one cup of water, and how to tell a cooked pot from a steamed one before you lift the lid.
