Ninang Gloria’s Chicken Arroz Caldo (Chicken rice soup)

1/2 cup oil, 1/2 cup crushed garlic, 2 Tbsps. thinly sliced ginger, 1 Tbsp. kasubha (supermarkets’ spice and vegetable sections), 1/2 cup thinly sliced violet onions (shallots), 1 kilo Magnolia chicken parts (adobo cut), 1/4 kilo chicken liver, 1/4 cup patis(fish sauce), 4 chicken cubes, 1-1/2 tsps. black pepper, 1 cup C-4 dinorado rice (washed), 1 cup washed malagkit rice (glutinous rice) 16 cups water (1 gallon), 1/2 cup chopped spring onions for topping), 8 pieces calamansi for serving.

In a deep soup casserole, add oil and garlic. Set aside garlic when brown to be used for topping. Add chicken liver and stir until half-cooked. Set aside on a plate. Add ginger, kasubha (Philippine saffron), onions, and brown well. Add chicken to brown well (so caldo will not spoil easily). Season with patis, chicken cubes, pepper. Stir in rice and cook 2 minutes. Add water. Let boil, cover, then simmer over low fire 45 minutes. Add liver, cook 2 minutes more.

To serve: Prepare 8 bowls for the caldo. Top with spring onions and crispy garlic.

Tip: To cook regular rice at home, use a rice cooker and follow directions. If unavailable, put the rice in a pot, press your middle finger in the center, and put enough water until the level reaches the second line of your middle finger. Cook over medium heat and stir once in a while.

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