[Recipe] Chicken Arroz Caldo

Chicken Arroz Caldo

It was raining hard a few days back and sometimes the weather would remind me of a particular food that I would like to eat. The wet and cool atmosphere made me think of 2 things. Hot Chocolate and a steaming bowl of Chicken Arroz Caldo. The next day I was in the grocery near my home hunting down what I would need to cook this dish back home. I was not able to find some of the ingredients (like the safflower or kasubha - so made do with turmeric for the distinctive pale yellow color of the dish), but I think I was able to make a decent enough dish. I am therefore pleased to share this recipe with all of you. :) (OK I admit that by the time I cooked this dish the weather was so hot but that did not prevent me from enjoying a piping hot bowl of Chicken Arroz Caldo in the confines of my air conditioned room with the thermostat set to very cold haha).

Ingredients:
1/2 Kilo Chicken Wings (or whichever parts you prefer cut into small pieces)
5 pcs Hard boiled eggs, shelled
1 Cup Uncooked Rice, washed and drained
2 liters chicken stock
1 small finger sized Turmeric, peeled and cut into fine strips (used primarily for coloring) 
2-finger sized Ginger, peeled and cut into big sticks then lightly crushed (I prefer them big so that I can set it aside and not accidentally eat it)
4 cloves of Garlic (minced)
1 medium sized white Onion, roughly diced
2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
2 teaspoons Dried Safflower (or Kasubha)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Toppings:
Minced Garlic, fried golden brown
1 Tablespoon spring onion (or alternately chives), chopped

Preferred Condiments:
Calamansi, squeezed over the bowl
Patis (Philippines Salty Fish Sauce - or alternately can use Thai Fish Sauce)

Optional: Try substituting 1/3 of the rice above with glutinous rice for thicker texture

Directions:
In a big pot, heat the vegetable oil in high heat and saute the garlic and onions with salt and pepper. Mix in the turmeric and then the chicken pieces. Brown the chicken slightly in the oil then pour in the chicken stock and the ginger and cover until it boils. Add the rice to the pot and let it boil without the cover for another 10 minutes. Lower the temperature and cover the pot and let simmer stirring occasionally for another 30 minutes or until the rice is cooked (should be soft). Add more water if necessary (if the porridge is becoming too thick - the amount of water the rice will absorb will depend of the variety of rice used). It is OK if the porridge is a bit bland since you can add the Patis on the dish later. Stir in the Safflower and the hard boiled eggs just before you turn off the heat. Top with crunchy fried garlic and spring onions. Enjoy while piping hot with your preferred condiments (I suggest Patis and Calamansi).