Arroz Caldo
I had a major Crohn’s flare last Saturday and spent 5 days at the hospital. First just IV; then clear liquids. (When did red jello become a clear liquid?). Getting the grilled cheese was a treat, even tho it was tepid and damp. Entire time I was looking forward to a bowl of hot, gingered, comforting arroz caldo seasoned with drops of salty amber patis. Arroz caldo is Filipino comfort food. Translating to “hot rice”, it’s a chicken-and-rice dish seasoned with ginger and garlic. Perfect for a rainy day, or one of those days when life just isn’t going the way it should. The ginger calms the stomach and the flavors calm your soul. It’s also great when you have a cold.
My mother-in-law taught me her recipe; it’s a traditional process; cooked slowly over a long time with the chicken and rice melding flavors in the pot together. Delicious, but takes hours. I found another recipe that reduces the time and still gives great flavor, prepping the chicken separately and cooking the rice as a risotto. Like any recipe, I tweak it here and there each time I make it. What follows is the basic recipe and method.
The Chicken & Broth:
3 lb Chicken, skin on and bones in.
1 medium onion, quartered
3 stalks celery, cut in half
1 head garlic, peeled not crushed
Seasonings
I had a major Crohn’s flare last Saturday and spent 5 days at the hospital. First just IV; then clear liquids. (When did red jello become a clear liquid?). Getting the grilled cheese was a treat, even tho it was tepid and damp. Entire time I was looking forward to a bowl of hot, gingered, comforting arroz caldo seasoned with drops of salty amber patis. Arroz caldo is Filipino comfort food. Translating to “hot rice”, it’s a chicken-and-rice dish seasoned with ginger and garlic. Perfect for a rainy day, or one of those days when life just isn’t going the way it should. The ginger calms the stomach and the flavors calm your soul. It’s also great when you have a cold.
My mother-in-law taught me her recipe; it’s a traditional process; cooked slowly over a long time with the chicken and rice melding flavors in the pot together. Delicious, but takes hours. I found another recipe that reduces the time and still gives great flavor, prepping the chicken separately and cooking the rice as a risotto. Like any recipe, I tweak it here and there each time I make it. What follows is the basic recipe and method.
The Chicken & Broth:
3 lb Chicken, skin on and bones in.
1 medium onion, quartered
3 stalks celery, cut in half
1 head garlic, peeled not crushed
Seasonings
You’ll want a mix of white and dark meat to get a nice light blend of the taste. I’ll use either a packaged whole chicken cut-up or a mix of 4 thick thighs and 2 breast halves. If I have to choose one or the other, I’ll always go with dark meat cuts. They are tastier – and cheaper. Drumsticks work ok, but there doesn’t seem to be as much as meat as you want.
Wash the chicken and put in a large pot with 10 cups of water, the onion, celery, garlic, salt, and whatever seasonings you like in your chicken broth (bay leaves, salt & pepper, simon & garfunkel). Bring to a full boil and then let simmer for about a half hour.
The goal is fully-cooked chicken that is drawing off of the bone but isn’t boiled-out. When cooked, remove the chicken to a colander. Then, slowly pour the broth and other contents of the pot through a mesh strainer into a large bowl. Let the contents drain into the bowl and then rinse any leavings from the pot. Pour the broth back into the pot and set on stove at low to stay hot.
The Rice
3 tablespoons oil
1 head garlic (12 cloves) crushed
One 2-inch piece of fresh ginger (about 1 ¾ oz) peeled and julienned
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 cup rice. White rice, short-grain.
In a large non-stick skillet, heat 3 tablespoons oil (cornola/veg) and cook the garlic to golden brown. Remove garlic and drain on paper towel.
We found a great trick for peeling ginger, thanks to Martha Stewart. Use a basic table spoon to gently scrape off the brown skin. It will slide right off and lets you get into all the corners.
Add ginger and onion to hot oil and sauté until translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Add the rice and toss to coat with oil. Cook, gently stirring on medium low, about 3-5 minutes. Rice will start to turn translucent. Add a ladle of the Broth to the rice and stir around until absorbed. Add another ladle of Broth, stir until absorbed. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. It will take about 20-25 minutes to cook the rice to the appropriate consistency. What is the right consistency. The rice should have liquid in it, and can be al dente or softer. We prefer the rice on the softer side, a thick porridge appearance.
Shred the chicken, mixing the light and dark meat. Scoop a portion of the rice into a dinner bowl with an amount of shredded chicken. Take some fried garlic – crush it – and sprinkle over rice. Use must drops of patis (fermented fish sauce) to season the arroz caldo; serve it in a small ramekin with the meal. (A note on patis – you can buy the fancy fish sauce in the Thai section and get a small bottle for a little over $4. If you look further along the aisle to the general Asian section, you can get a medium bottle for under $3. If you go to an Asian market, you can get a large bottle for about $3.) The patis imparts a richer, deeper, saltiness that merges with the flavors.
This recipe makes enough for 4 people. It keeps well in the fridge and can be microwaved to have as leftovers. I prefer, tho, to save some of the broth aside and reheat the rice on the stove by adding slowly broth and stirring until it’s reheated and at the consistency I want.
