Arroz Caldo

With the onset of winter a lot of people have been getting sick lately, like myself (but my illness has nothing to do with the weather, at least I don't think it is). I've been sick the last two weeks; throat hurts like a godawful bitch every night and even with my new meds it's not going away that easily. I've been drinking some ginger honey and lemon tea that my mother recommended, and one of my friends was kind enough to recommend that having a drink of milk with some honey works too. It's alleviated some of the pain and other than the fucktard in my classroom giving me a headache all the time and who won't shut the fuck up, because for some reason he needs to make a display of his dumbfuckery every five seconds, I think I'm getting better a little at a time. Just keeping my fingers crossed that I haven't jinxed my ass off though.

The hardest part about being sick is actually being able to take care of yourself. At some point some people can't even stand because it's just that bad. With my sore throat, swallowing is an absolute hassle. How is anyone supposed to eat when their throat twinges with sharp spikes of pain every time they eat something? Lucky for me (and anyone with a sore throat), hot liquids help relieve my constricted throat, and today's recipe has certainly brought relief to my throat and stomach whenever I'm sick.

Arroz Caldo has been part of Filipino cuisine for as long as anyone can remember (well, no, it's been there ever since the Chinese started trading with us waaaaay before the Spaniards colonized us) and anyone who's lived in a Filipino household all their lives is all too familiar with this rice gruel dish. I learned the recipe from my mother, and when I used to live back home she would always make this when I or one of my siblings were sick, or when it was the pabasa during the Holy Week. Why does it have a Spanish name when it's been there before the Spaniards arrived in the Philippines? Fucked if I know. Panlasang Pinoy says the Spaniards couldn't pronounce freakin' congee and said Arroz Caldo was apparently easier to say. Sounds about reasonable.

Just about every recipe out there tells you how to cook this dish in a pot. But none of these recipes ever tell you how to cook it in a rice cooker. Real helpful to the people without a stove, guys. Here I tell you how to cook it using both pot and rice cooker.

This amount should serve about 5 people.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 piece onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 15 grams ginger
• 10 grams butter
• 3 cups uncooked rice
• 500 grams chicken breasts/thighs
• 3 stalks scallions or 1 stalk leek
• fish sauce as needed
• salt and pepper as needed
• 3 eggs
• 700 grams water

Those who only have a rice cooker though might find this quite a bit of a hassle. You must boil the eggs, the rice, and the soup all in this particular order.

1. Boil your eggs until they're hardboiled (200°C). For Japanese rice cookers, set your rice cooker to takikomi (炊込み). When it starts to boil, set a timer for 7 minutes. After your timer beeps, take out your eggs and wait for them to cool before peeling. After peeling, slice the eggs into quarters.
2. Wash your rice repeatedly until it's clean. Put your rice in your rice cooker pot and put water in it, just enough so that it covers the rice. Clean the rice by taking handfuls of it and just crushing it in your hands for several seconds. Drain the liquid by tilting the pot just enough so that the water pours into your sink. Use your hand to make sure rice doesn't flow out of your pot by accident. This should take about 3 washes; after the third wash put 4 cups of water into your pot. If the water is clear enough for you to see the rice at the bottom, cook it in your rice cooker; otherwise, wash it again until it becomes so.
3. Dice your onions and garlic.
4. Cut long sticks of ginger.
5. Chop your scallions/leeks.
6. Slice your chicken into chunks.

Rice Cooker Method

1. For ordinary rice cookers, just set your rice cooker to cook. For Japanese rice cookers, set your rice cooker to takikomi (炊込み). Sweat your garlic, onions, and ginger in butter. Add your chicken and let it cook.
2. Add in your water and rice. Let it boil. Mix it around a few times as well.
3. Add the right amount of fish sauce, salt and pepper until it suits your tastes.
4. Serve with a boiled egg and chopped scallions or leeks on top.

Stove Pot Method

For those privileged enough to have a proper kitchen, this method makes your life easier.

1. Place your pot on the stove and set your stove to a low heat (170°C). Sweat your garlic, onions, and ginger in butter. Add your chicken, raise the temperature (180°C) and let it cook.
2. Add in your water and rice. Let it boil (200°C). When it boils, lower your heat and let it simmer (180°C). Mix it around a few times as well.
3. Add the right amount of fish sauce, salt and pepper until it suits your tastes.
4. Serve with a boiled egg and chopped scallions or leeks on top.

And that's it. Bear in mind that you can make large batches of arroz caldo, so if you're cooking for a good number of people then just adjust your measurements accordingly.

You may notice that while you're cooking your meat and veggies, liquid gradually collects at the bottom of your pot. This is normal. These are just the juices of the chicken that have seeped out, as well as some of the steam that condensed onto the lid and ended up falling into the pot. The juices make your stock taste better, but you may want to adjust the water you're about to put into your stew especially if you use a rice cooker.

While you cook your chicken and veggies, it may be in your best interest to cook the veggies with half the amount of butter, and then add the other half just as you cook your chicken. This should keep the surface of your pot from burning and make your stock a little more flavorful.

Would there be any other meats you can use for this dish? Sorry peeps, but this recipe is naturally cooked with chicken. There is another Filipino dish of a similar nature to arroz caldo called goto. It's also a rice gruel dish, but instead of chicken you use beef and tripe. It's also a little more oily. It's very possible to also cook goto in a rice cooker as well. I may try doing so in the future, although tripe isn't a very common thing to find in local Japanese groceries. Perhaps I'll probably have some luck going to a meat store, but I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Given how this gruel gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling inside, it's sure to bring you some comfort during the winter. It should also be easy to swallow for everyone out there who's sick right now. That said, enjoy your meal, and if you're sick, remember to take your meds, drink more water and get your sleep, guys. It's not easy getting sick, so take care of yourselves, alright? Prevention's always better than cure!