Another Arroz Caldo recipe

Another Arroz Caldo recipe - made October 26, 2022 modified from Salu Salo

2 pounds skinless chicken thighs, cut into chunks
salt and pepper
2 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 thumb-size ginger, cut into strips
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 1/2 cups uncooked rice, washed and drained
1/8 teaspoon saffron
7 cups chicken stock
4 soft-boiled eggs
chopped green onion, for garnish

1. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. 
2. Heat oil in heavy pan over medium heat. Fry garlic until browned then add onion and ginger. Cook, stirring constantly, until onion is softened.
3. Add chicken and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until meat is no longer pink.
4. Add fish sauce and stir. Add rice and saffron. Stir to combine.
5. Add chicken stock and stir. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until chicken is tender and rice is cooked. If mixture becomes too thick, add more water or chicken stock as needed.
6. Add soft boiled eggs. Season with taste with fish sauce or salt. Serve hot, garnished with chopped green onion and lemon wedges.

I modified this slightly as I only had bone-in chicken thighs, not boneless, and I didn't have any onions, not even a dusting of onion power in my Penzey's spice drawer. And I'd given my jar of saffron to my mom. Plus I didn't have any green onions on hand or any fresh ginger, just powdered ginger. Okay, fine, I modified it more than slightly.

Fortunately, unlike my sweet tooth which insists on picky heights of culinary dessert snobbery, my bar for savory foods is much, much lower. As in, arroz caldo, or Filipino rice porridge with chicken and soft-boiled eggs, is a perennial favorite and it's hard to make it badly. Even my culinary talents extend to cooking chicken and rice in (powdered)ginger-infused chicken broth and letting it boil until aforementioned chicken and rice are done. Comfort food at its finest.