Arroz Caldo - Perfect for the rainy weather!

Arroz Caldo also known as the Filipino rice porridge is my go to dish on a rainy night or day or just  for any occasion you want. I crave for this especially when I have colds which is usually once a month. If your parents want you to eat chicken noodle soup when your sick then this is the Filipino take on it.

This is a very simple recipe that involves the basic ingredients when cooking Filipino food. It has garlic, ginger, fish sauce and soy sauce. I fried some sliced garlic to top it together with some chopped chives. You can also add boiled eggs but I didn't add it on this recipe since I feel like there's so much chicken happening with the drumstick and stock. Crunchy Pork skin chicharrones would be a great topping too for that crunchy texture.

Here's what you need:

(L-R) shallots, ginger, chives, sliced garlic for frying and minced garlic

Most ingredients of this recipe are from Trader Joes. 

1 medium shallot minced
1 tbsp. minced garlic
2 tbsp. sliced ginger
6 pcs. Chicken drumstick
32 oz./ 4 cups Chicken stock
1 1/2 cups of Jasmine rice (rinsed)
1 tbsp. fish sauce
1 tbsp. soy sauce
4-5 cloves of garlic, sliced thin then fried until crispy (optional)
bunch of chopped chives

Here's how you do it:

1. Pat dry the chicken drumsticks with a paper towel. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Put a little olive oil on a large pot on medium to high heat and fry the chickens until brown. This will take about 10 minutes. Make sure the oil is hot before putting the chicken. Oil might splatter so be careful. Set aside on a plate.

2. Using the same pot, fry the garlic, shallots and ginger for about 3 minutes on medium heat. Make sure to scrape those brown bits on the pot from the chicken. That's some great flavor! :)

3. Add the rice and mix for about 2 minutes to absorb the flavors. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil.

4. Once boiling, place the chicken back to the pot with all the drippings from the plate. Let it simmer for about 30 minutes. What I usually do is to cover the pot for about 15 minutes. Then simmer it uncovered making sure to mix it every once in a while so that the rice won't stick at the bottom. On the 20 minute mark, add 2 cups of water and mix. Add another cup of water until the desired texture is thick but soupy like a rice porridge. I added a total of 4 cups on mine.

5. Add fish sauce and soy sauce. Mix. Salt and pepper to taste.

6. To serve it, put the rice porridge in a bowl, top it off with chopped chives and fried garlic. You can even add some chicharon. Squeeze some lemon before serving. Enjoy!

This is a great make ahead recipe that will last 3-5 days refrigerated on an air tight container. When reheating, microwave the chicken and the porridge separately. Put some porridge in a bowl and add about 2 tbsp. of water. Microwave on high for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Mix it well, put the chicken on a plate and microwave for a minute. Put the chicken and the porridge together and add your toppings.

Any variations/suggestions? Please comment below. I'd love to hear them! :)