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Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Arroz Caldo



Up next is a rice soup. A congee of sorts. Or rice porridge. Also referred to as lugaw (loo-g-ow) in the Philippines. The dish has got some Spanish influences, but mostly adapted from the Chinese. I've got wikipedia to thank for that last bit of info (here). I have my mom to thank for this recipe. She's make this every Christmas. I love it. It's probably the best I've ever eaten. I'm not saying that because I'm her daughter, but I really do believe it true. People rave about it when they first taste it.  I could eat up bowls of this soup all day long if I could with a side of bread. This is comfort food Filipino style. Yum!!

There's also no one way to make this as many Filipino families have their own recipe and tradition of cooking up this classic soup. As long as there's rice and bunch of fresh ginger and maybe some chicken, you're good to go. At first it may look watery if eaten fresh, but give it a couple hours and the water will dry out a little and it will have and creamy porridge-like consistency. Plus you can always add more stock to the mix. Serve a bowl of this with a side of fish sauce, calamansi or lemon wedges, or soy sauce.

This soup can be eaten year round. It's perfect substitute for the tried-and-true chicken noodle for if you're feeling sick. But I love to eat it during this season. It just screams holidays, doesn't it? Maybe it's the flecks of red from the saffron.



Arroz Caldo

2 c uncooked rice
1 garlic - fine chopped
1/2 medium onion - chopped
1/2 c ginger - sliced
2 chicken boullion cubes
water
1 Tbsp saffron
1 chicken breast - cubed - optional
extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper
2 scallion - chopped
roasted garlic pieces - optional
hard boiled egg - optional


Wash the uncooked rice thorough of any starches. Set aside.

In a stock pot, saute the garlic in a little olive oil  then saute the onions after. Add the optional chicken and par-cook the meat until the the outside are white. Season with some salt and pepper. Add the rice and saute for roughly 1-2 minutes. Then add the ginger.

Fill the pot 3/4 full of water. and add the chicken boullion, if not adding chicken meat. Bring the mixture to a boil then down to a simmer on medium to low heat until the rice is cooked. Then add the saffron.

Top with some slices of egg ot a couple quail eggs, scallions and roasted garlic. Serve with a side of fish sauce, calamsi or lemon slices, or soy sauce.

Note: if it looks watery, don't worry. After a couple of hours some of the liquid with lightly dry out and the soup will have a porridge consistency.


13 comments:

Trissa said...

Thanks for sharing your Mom's recipe. It does look delicious! Happy New Year!

OysterCulture said...

This sounds perfect - thanks for helping get the new year off to a healthy start!

Divina Pe said...

Always a comfort food for me. Thanks for sharing the recipe. Happy New Year and have a great year ahead.

Bob said...

I've never had it, but it looks great!

Bianca @Hermosa Beach Restaurant Examiner said...

My mom always fed us this when we were sick. It's very comforting when you're feeling down..or nice to eat on a cold rainy day!

Happy New Year!

Phyllis said...

Did someone mention congee?! Your arroz caldo recipe looks fabulous and so comforting! Happy New Year :)

vanillasugarblog said...

I love ginger in soups. I eat so much ginger on a daily basis. They say that whatever it is that you eat a lot of, that is what your body is craving in terms of minerals. (I'm just rambling on here aren't I?)

Andrea@WellnessNotes said...

Looks like a very comforting soup... :)

Diana said...

This soup sounds like just the ticket on a cold and rainy day like today! Thanks for sharing!

Donna-FFW said...

It does indeed sound comforting and certainly tasty and delicious!! Im sure it would make anyone feel better!

Jen @ My Kitchen Addiction said...

I could go for a bowl of this right now... Thanks for sharing the recipe. Sounds wonderful!

arroz caldo lover said...

I love arroz caldo. I am always looking for various ways of cooking it. Your recipe is indeed delicious!

disfrutar del sexo said...

Thank you for the article, really useful data.

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