Hot Chicken-Rice Pot

At home, we call this Arroz Caldo. I Anglicised the name to make it sound appealing to my children's picky taste. I cook this when they have problem with colds, sore throat and when they are plainly sick. I cook this in winter for body sustenance.

Ingredients:

6-8 pieces chicken drumsticks, remove joint bones
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 of onion bulb, finely sliced, lengthwise
2 x 1 inch length fresh lemon grass, cut into half
1 tsp finely sliced, cubed or diced fresh ginger
1 cup broccoli, cut
3 tsps finely diced capsicum (red, green and yellow or any of the two)
3 pieces of shallots, finely chopped
1 tbsp of cooking oil (I used either olive or rice bran oil)
a dash of annato powder or paprika powder for colouring
salt to season, soy sauce
1 cup of half-boiled rice. (I do this for quick cooking).
2-3 cups rice stock.

Stock: Reserve the second and third washing of rice. Meanwhile boil the rice in a rice cooker. I use a cup of half-boiled rice to add to the recipe.

Method of Preparation:

Clean drumsticks with white vinegar; rub them with salt; wash under running cold water, and drain.

Place cleaned drumsticks in a saucepan, fresh lemon grass, and ginger. Cover and boil to extract its natural juice. Occasionally stir and turn over and adjust heat to moderate.

In a frying pan, saute garlic and onion with oil till brown; pour into the saucepan and stir. Cover with lid and continue boiling in moderate heat for 5 minutes. Add rice stock gradually, boil, then add more stock to cover the mixture and simmer. Occasionally give it a stir to avoid sticking in the bottom.

Add half-boiled rice, stock and add annato or paprika powder. Add soy sauce sparingly and salt to enhance flavour. Then continue to simmer till tender. Add broccoli. Cook for about 3 minutes. Add capsicum last.

Sprinkle finely chopped shallots. On serving, you may squeeze fresh kumquat, lemon or lime as you like.

Makes a nice healthy hot soup to ward off winter chills.

Bon appetit!