Cures of Chicken and Rice

So, this stomach flu/bug thing that has been ailing me the past four days turned out to be food poisoning. I can't believe how long it has taken me to fully recover - meaning eat a meal again and my favorite foods. Passed the endless bottles of Gatorade and apple juice, the recommendation is to ease your stomach into eating again. My first step - rice and broth, this was yesterday's phase.
 

Arroz Caldo

There's a traditional Filipino dish called Arroz Caldo (also known as Congee), which is chicken rice soup. Unlike traditional chicken soup with rice,  this soup has a porridge texture as result of prolonged boiling of the rice that breaks down the grain. Arroz Caldo or Congee has always been the remedy to everything - a bad stomach, a cold, the flu - it's the ultimate comfort food and remedy for people who are sick. 
I love this dish, partly because it is the first dish I ever learned how to cook successfully and it does bring me comfort and great memories. 



Three days on what seems like a never ending liquid diet, I felt ready to eat solids today. The recommendation at this phase is boiled meat, rice and pasta, vegetables that are cooked down. Rice is always a welcome staple for a Filipino but I did swim today and really wanted protein! 

As a child I frequently traveled with my Mom during her business trips, and Singapore was one of our frequent destinations. One of the meals I always looked forward to during our trips was Singapore Chicken Rice (also known as Hainanese Chicken Rice) that we would usually get from the Mandarin Oriental hotel. It has been at least 15 years since I was last at Singapore, and the last time I had this dish was at least 4 years ago, when I happened to stumble upon my restauranteur friend in Cincinnati having it for lunch - he graciously offered me some since it was a dish he prepared for himself and not offered on the menu. I've always thought about this dish, but never tried to attempt making it. For some reason I decided to do some research and make it today. I was so excited about the results - I immediately called my father in Australia to brag, and sent a text to my sister (who grew up in Singapore).

My Chicken Rice bowl

Singapore Chicken Rice consists of four parts - chicken, rice, soup and dipping sauce options.  

The Chicken
The chicken is boiled with ginger and scallions. After boiling, the chicken is dumped in a cold bath, dried and coated with sesame oil.   

The Soup
Save broth for soup - add a few drops of sesame oil and dark soy sauce before serving, and garnish with scallions.

The Chicken Rice
Finely chopped garlic, ginger and shallots are sauteed in a pan with jasmine rice, then finished to cook using the leftover broth from the boiled chicken.

The Dipping Sauce Options 
Ginger-Scallion Sauce - grated ginger, finely chopped scallions, a few spoonfuls of the chicken broth, a pinch of salt and peanut oil
Chilli Sauce - siracha sauce with ginger, garlic, lime juice and sugar blended together
Dark Soy Sauce
Sesame Oil

You can also serve this with sliced cucumbers and a garnish of cilantro and scallions.
  
Two days of chicken and rice as prescribed by the doctor may sound boring and bland. But who said you can't have good eats while recovering from illness?