C is for Comfort food



Mommy has decided to take on the challenge of making dinner for five days.

Since it has been cold the past few weeks, Mommy  thought that it would be nice  to have some traditional Filipino comfort food. You seemed to like the arroz caldo the best of them all. You had three helpings!

The basic arroz caldo is fairly easy to do. The secret to making it nice and tasty is Patience - it requires constant attention and regular stirring (needless to say, this is not a dish wherein we can read  "The Story of Peppa Pig" while Mommy is cooking).







Left to right, clockwise: Nilagang baboy, chicken and pork adobo
in coconut milk, arroz caldo, picadillo, and chicken sotanghon soup

Ingredients:

Rice (1 cup)
Chicken (750 grams)
Ginger
Onions
Garlic
Cooking oil
Salt
Pepper
2 hard boiled eggs (slice into quarters)

Procedure:
1. Heat the oil in a deep pan.
2. When the oil is warm, brown the ginger, garlic, and the onions.
3. Add the chicken.
4. After about 15 minutes of cooking, add the rice.
5. Add 2 cups water, slowly stirring.
6. Add water as needed.
7. Continue adding water and stirring for about an hour.
8. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
9.  Serve the arroz caldo in a bowl, garnished with quartered hardboiled eggs.

Remarks:
There are those who put saffron in the rice and there are those who prefer to use patis (a Filipino fish sauce) as seasoning. There are those who prefer to use malagkit (glutinous rice) as an added ingredient. Still there are also those who garnish the arroz caldo with green onions and toasted garlic bits upon serving.

The above recipe however, is the one your lola makes at home in the Philippines and this is  how Mommy prefers it best prepared.