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Arroz Caldo made with Brown Rice - Instant Pot

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5 from 1 review

This Filipino dish has all the flavors one is looking for. It is gingery and garlicky and has a nice punch of tang from the lime and floral essence of the saffron.

The ultimate comfort food. The name is in Spanish and literally means "rice broth" or "rice soup". In Chinese, this dish is called congee. Filipino food, in a nutshell, is a fusion of all the different cuisines that were part of our colonization.

  • Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
  • Yield: 4-6 1x

Ingredients

Scale

Arroz Caldo - soup:

4  chicken thighs (with bones) *TIP: use the skin to make chicharron. Remove the chicken skin and set aside.

1 cup brown rice

¼ cup of white wine

6 cups chicken broth

3 tbsp minced fresh ginger (smaller the better)

3 tbs minced garlic

1 minced shallot

1 pinch of saffron (substitution: 2 tsp turmeric)

Dash of fish sauce

Salt and black pepper to taste

TOPPINGS:

**see blog post for the descriptions

  • Spicy Chicken Chicharon
  • Perfect 6-minute hard-boiled egg
  • Spicy Garlic Corn
  • Fried Garlic
  • Green Onions
  • Fresh lime wedges (substitution: lemon juice)
  • Cilantro

Instructions

  • Prep your chicken. Remove the skin and set it aside. Use this for your chicharron.
  • Turn on the Instant Pot SAUTE mode and brown your chicken. Salt and pepper while they are browning.
  • Prep your aromatics (garlic, ginger and shallot)
  • Once browned, remove the chicken, and set it aside. Add the ginger, shallots, and garlic and sauté until golden brown. Add some white wine to deglaze.
  • Once the wine has mostly evaporated, add the brown rice and sauté for 3 minutes.
  • Add the chicken back and add the chicken stock.
  • Add the pinch of saffron.
  • Close the lid and set the timer for 1 hour.
  • This is when you make your toppings. See notes for instructions
  • After the hour is done, let it come to a natural release. Open the lid and see if it needs more time to be thicker. Go back to sauté mode and reduce the liquid to the consistency you prefer. Think porridge texture. Not soupy, you want a thicker consistency.
  • Using tongs, remove the chicken bones and discard them.
  • Ladle soup into the bowl and add your toppings.

Notes

Spicy Chicken Chicharon:

  • In a bowl mix together 1 tbsp red pepper flakes, 1 tsp garlic powder and 1 tsp salt, pepper
    In a pre-heated oven, line the baking tray with foil or parchment paper and a cookie rack, and place the chicken skin flat on the rack for even and crispy cooking.
  • Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until super crispy
  • When the chicharron is done, put it in a bowl and sprinkle it with your spices. Best to sprinkle your spices when the chicharron is still piping hot. This ensures the spices stick to it. You do not need to use all your spices, use what you need to get the right saltiness. **Use the remaining spices in your SPICY GARLIC CORN

Perfect 6-minute hard-boiled egg

  • In a pot, boil water then add the eggs
  • Boil for exactly 6 minutes for those perfect jammy eggs
  • Remove and put in an ice bath to stop from cooking.
  • PEELING HACK: once the eggs have cooled down a bit, crack all around and place the eggs back in the cold water. In a minute or so, peel and notice how quickly and easily the hardboiled eggs separate from the shell. Science…

Spicy Garlic Corn

  • In a frying pan, add 1 tbsp of garlic, and 1 tsp of the remaining spices (from your chicharron) with 1 tbsp avocado oil. Add frozen corn and saute until you reach your desired consistency and flavor.
  • Author: Carmen
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Category: mains
  • Method: instant pot
  • Cuisine: filipino