Here’s the deal, friends: we will only share recipes that we could, in good conscience, recommend you try. Like we said in the About section, we’re not professionals and don't exactly have the street cred or chops to run a food blog in the first place...BUT when we actually do pull something off well, you'll be the first to know. That being said, we're sharing this Asian rice porridge recipe because you can bet your bottom dollar it's delicious.

Our holiday season was hectic to say the least. We changed time zones six times within a two-week period: PHX -> SF -> Japan -> SF -> PHX -> SD -> PHX. On top of that, Allan had only been home for four nights in December because he had residency interviews up the wazoo. So, we both rolled into 2018 exhausted and soon after Allan got sick.

I had tried making lugaw—the Filipino term for congee, aka rice porridge—a few years ago, when I had an awful respiratory infection and was craving my grandma’s cooking. It ended up so weak and watery, I barely ate it. It didn't help that our set of cooking pots were low quality junk I had bought in college with leftover dining dollars. As it turns out, the quality of your cookware matters GREATLY when it comes to food, and I hadn't the faintest clue till recently. My mom bought me The Science of Good Cooking for Christmas, which does a great job at discussing how different metals conduct heat and cook food. It is actually fascinating. I cringed when I read that the nonstick coating on my pots was getting plaque-like not because my saucepan had been well-loved, but because it was wearing off and likely now imparting toxins and such into my food. YIKES. Takeaway: multi-metal clad is the way to go and avoid non stick unless it's for fish, eggs or stir fry.

Anyway, my Filipino grandma is an incredible chef (will be posting more of her recipes later) and a former nurse, pretty much making her the most nurturing human to walk the planet. Whenever anyone in the family was sick or had any sort of operation, she would make a big batch of lugaw for them to live off of for a week. The umbrella term across Asian countries for it is “congee” and it essentially is chicken-flavored rice oatmeal—it's called kayu in Japan. It's thick and savory (even umami-like) and fills your belly with a warm and tasty little fire.

It was Allan's first time being sick-sick in the four(ish) years we've been together and I was determined to get it right. The timing worked out nicely because while we were in Japan weeks before, his grandparents gave us money to buy a wedding gift with and we settled on this Vermicular Oven Pot. It’s basically the Dutch oven pot of Japan. We found it at the department store right next to the Staub brand ones, which all the Japanese customers were more interested in. We, however, wanted something made in Japan because we appreciate Japanese design and craftsmanship—plus it's just more meaningful considering we were in Japan and it was from his Japanese grandparents. So thankfully we could use that instead of my dining dollar stock pot :)

Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup of rice (we used Nishiki rice, but anything short-grain and Asian should work—don't use jasmine, basmati or long-grain though)
2 TBSP ginger (freshly grated)
2 liters chicken stock (about two cartons of broth)
2 chicken thighs (bone-in, skinless)
2 tsp sesame oil
Green onions (for serving)
Soy sauce (for serving)

Instructions

Add rice and chicken stock to the pot and bring to a boil.
Add chicken thighs, sesame oil and ginger. Stir and ensure rice does not to bottom.
Turn heat to low. Cover and let simmer, stirring every 20 minutes for 2 hours.
Remove chicken thighs, shred off of bone and return it to the pot.
Stir and serve with green onions and soy sauce.
Eat up and feel better :)