Filipino comfort food for breakfast: Lugaw

Lugaw is a savory rice porridge, flavored with ginger and chicken, and served as breakfast in the Philippines. Recipe below.

WE FIRST TASTED THIS CREAMY, COMFORTING RICE PORRIDGE at Uncle Mike’s Place, a diner in Chicago known for its “Famous Filipino Breakfast.” Before you even order from the menu, welcoming bowls of lugaw (LOO-gaw) are placed in front of each guest. At its heart, it is creamy, savory and gingery, rice slowly cooked in broth until it becomes thick and rich, with bites of tender chicken. It’s topped with garlic chips, scallions and a half slice of lemon. No big flavors jumping out at you, just subtle, soothing deliciousness.

Almost every Asian nation has its own version of savory rice (or millet or grain) porridge, called congee in China and going by other names in other countries. They vary based on what gets cooked into them. In the Philippines, the key ingredients are ginger and chicken. As with many versions of Asian porridges, lugaw is often served as part of breakfast. It’s also made for someone feeling under the weather and as part of Noche Buena, the feast served on Christmas Eve in the Philippines.

The key to creaminess is cooking the rice slowly. The recipe we started from—which, as it happens, is based on the version made at Uncle Mike’s Place—calls for stirring the rice constantly during the first 10 minutes of boiling to break down the starches in the rice. We used jasmine rice, but you can use any long- or medium-grain white rice. Despite cooking the rice for half an hour or so, lugaw comes together quickly and easily enough to make on a weeknight.

Besides being absolutely comforting, lugaw is wonderfully economical. Rice, some chicken, some broth and a handful of other non-exotic ingredients. We are so looking forward to making up pots of this delightful porridge this winter, feeling smugly frugal as it warms and soothes us.

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Lugaw

A comforting savory rice porridge, flavored with ginger and chicken, and served as breakfast in the Philippines.

Course Breakfast, Light Dinner, Soup

Cuisine Philippine

Servings 4 to 6

Ingredients

• 1 cup jasmine rice (or any long- or medium-grain white rice)
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth or homemade chicken stock
• 4 cups water, plus more if needed
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 8-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced (see Kitchen Notes)
• 2 tablespoons minced ginger
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce (see Kitchen Notes)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced
• slices of lemon, halved

Instructions

• In a Dutch oven or large pot, combine rice with broth, 4 cups of water and salt. Bring to a boil, then cook, stirring constantly, for 10 minutes—this will release the rice’s starches, making it creamier. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, 20 minutes longer, stirring occasionally to keep it from sticking on the bottom.
• While the rice is cooking, heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic slices and cook until golden brown, stirring occasionally to cook on both sides, 2 minutes or so. Transfer garlic chips to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
• Stir chicken, ginger and fish sauce into the cooking rice. Cook 5 minutes or so, until chicken is cooked through.
• Taste lugaw and adjust seasoning with salt, if needed. If it has gotten too thick, add a little water (but don’t overdo—you want creamy, not soupy). Ladle the lugaw into bowls. Top each with fried garlic chips, scallions and a lemon slice, and serve.

Kitchen Notes

About the chicken. Chicken breasts are good for this. To slice thinly, first, use a sharp knife. You can also pop the chicken breast in the freezer for about half an hour to firm it up before slicing. Some recipes use bone-in chicken thighs, cooking them longer in the rice, and deboning and shredding the chicken with forks. As much as we like chicken thighs, the ease of the sliced chicken breast appeals to us.

Yes, you need fish sauce. It adds an umami to the lugaw that adding more salt can't provide. And it doesn't taste fishy. Red Boat brand is our favorite.