"Arroz Caldo" (Chicken Congee)

Ingredients:

• 400 grams uncooked glutinous rice (malagkit)
• 8 cups water
• 3 tbsps cooking oil
• 8 cloves garlic
• 50 grams ginger
  
• 2 large (100 grams) red onion
  
• 2 pcs (650 grams) chicken thigh & leg part
  
• 250 grams chicken liver & gizzard
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup fish sauce
• 10 cups hot water
• 2 pcs chicken cubes
• 1 tsp iodized coarse salt
• 3 leaves pandan, tied in a knot
• 1 heaping tsp of wild saffron (kasubha)
• 6-8 pcs or more shelled hard-boiled chicken eggs

Procedure:

In a medium thick bottom casserole, put the uncooked glutinous rice. Wash twice. Drain well. Put water. Cover. Place over medium high fire. Bring to boil. Then, decrease fire to very low. Cook with lid on for 15 minutes. Mix well. Continue cooking for another 10 minutes. Remove from heat the casserole. Set aside until needed.

Meanwhile, pound finely the garlic. Slice the ginger into julienne. Cut in half the onion, then, slice thinly. Cut into very small pieces the chicken. Cut into two each chicken gizzard & liver.

In pan, place over medium-high heat. Put oil, garlic and ginger. Saute until garlic is rich golden brown. Follow with onion. Saute until translucent. Put the chicken, liver, gizzard, black pepper and fish sauce. Stir-fry until very aromatic.

Add the cooked glutinous rice, hot water, chicken cubes, salt and pandan leaves. Mix well. Cover. Bring to boil. Stirring often.

Sprinkle the wild saffron on top. Mix. Cook for another minute.

Serve hot. Drizzle with Philippine lemon juice (kalamansi) and fish sauce (patis). For more enticing taste, top with toasted garlic and minced spring onion. You can also add hard-boiled eggs.