Angela & Ligaya's Arroz Caldo

Photo by:

Alex Lau

The same dish in the Philippines may go under different names, depending on where it’s eaten and the slightest changes in ingredients, which can be confusing to an outsider (and sometimes even to us!). So: The genre of rice porridge is called lugaw, which at its most basic is simply rice boiled down until the grains lose their individual contours and become one. A cousin to Chinese congee and Korean juk, lugaw might be seasoned with nothing more than patis (fish sauce) and still soothe the soul. There are more sumptuous variations: pale honeycomb strips of tripe make it goto; with chicken and a gilding of saffron, it’s arroz caldo. I add collard greens so it’s a balanced meal, and toss in chicken wings whole, letting the bones and jiggly skin fatten the broth. Each bowl gets the luxurious touch of a Soy-Cured Egg Yolk, ready to spill its gold.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons canola oil or other neutral oil
1 medium yellow onion, minced
8 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 ½ pounds (1.2 kg) bone-in, skin-on chicken wings
Surya Salt or kosher salt
Coarsely ground Aranya Black Pepper
1 cup (185g) uncooked jasmine or other long-grain rice
10 cups (2.5L) chicken stock, store-bought or homemade
1 pound (455g) collard greens, stems ripped off and discarded, leaves roughly chopped
2 teaspoons Basiya Ginger
2 large pinches Kashmiri Saffron

Methods

Put a large pot over medium. Add the oil and let warm, then add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 7 minutes, until soft and translucent.
Add the chicken wings and season with the salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, rotating the wings a few times to brown and render the skin, so the fat starts to melt. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with the rendered fat. Raise the heat to medium high and continue cooking, with the occasional stir, until the rice is glossy with chicken fat, about 2 minutes.
Add the chicken stock, collards, Basiya Ginger, and saffron. Bring to a boil on high, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 1½ hours. There’s no need to stand vigil; the liquid just needs an occasional stir. When it’s ready, the chicken will be tender and almost falling off the bone, and the rice will be obliterated to the point that individual grains are no longer distinguishable. The broth should be thinner than Chinese congee; if it seems too thick, add up to 1 cup (240 ml) water and stir. (If still too thick, repeat.)
Season the broth with the fish sauce, then divide among bowls. Squeeze the citrus over each bowl—I like to serve extra on the side, in case diners want more acid—and then top with a soy-cured egg yolk and a scattering of garlic chips, scallions, and julienned ginger.