Simple Chicken Congee or Arroz Caldo or Lugaw
While my daughter was recovering from bronchitis and ear infection, she had no appetite. That is rare because she loves eating. As a matter of tradition, every time she is sick, I prepare what Filipinos call “lugaw” or congee. My version is simple, and it is what I cook instead of a chicken soup. It’s nice to have as well on cold nights and is a comfort food.
What you need:
about 3 – 4 tablespoons cooking oil
chicken pieces (I used the drummette and middle parts of the chicken wing — the tickmark part I set aside for future crisp frying lol)
a thumb sized ginger, sliced thinly or chopped
about 2 cloves of garlic, minced
small onion, chopped
a cup of uncooked rice
about 3 cups of chicken stock
fish sauce — I normally use fish sauce but I ran out that time so I had to season this with salt instead; some people use soy sauce with a dash of lime/lemon juice
pepper
soft (or hard depending on your preference) boiled eggs
optional garnish: sliced green onions or in this case since I didn’t have them, chives and perhaps some crispy fried garlic and/or onion bits
What you need to do:
In a saucepan, heat your oil. Add your garlic and ginger. Add your onions and stir together for about 1 minute. Add your chicken pieces and saute until brownish in colour. Add your stock and then the rice. Cover and cook in low heat stirring once in a while to avoid sticking to the bottom. If your lugaw looks too thick, add some more stock or water. When the chicken pieces are thoroughly cooked and tender, season with fish sauce (start with about 2 teaspoons and add some more when necessary, a little at a time) and dash of pepper. Add your boiled eggs.
Ladle in bowls, garnish and serve.
- Posted in: Chicken Recipes ♦ YUM
- Tagged: congee
I’ve eaten congee my whole life, but never with an egg before. It was what my parents made us whenever we were sick. It’s still quite cold here in spring and I like to make a big pot of congee at the start of the week and have small bowls for breakfast during the week. Quick and filling and it will warm you up!