Arroz Valenciana

Arroz Valenciana is a classic Filipino rice dish that brought a lot of joy to my mom. It’s not a dish she ever made herself, but if she saw it on a menu she always had to order it. I think it reminded her of her childhood in the Philippines because often served at celebrations, holidays, and large family gatherings. The dish is rich, comforting, and deeply nostalgic. It uses a variety of Filipino ingredients, but the dish carries clear influences from Spanish paella, Indian biryani, and reflects the long melting pot history of cuisine in the Philippines.

What I really like about it is that it looks super impressive and it can feed a crowd, plus it’s way simpler to cook than paella. With Spanish paella you need to be very precise with your ratios to get the rice just right. Ingredients go in at very precise times to get the right amount of cook. Arroz Valenciana is way more forgiving. Instead of saffron and olive oil, there’s turmeric or annatto and coconut milk. Instead of a dry, structured rice, Arroz Valenciana rice is plump and sticky. Arroz Valenciana is best served hot, straight from the pan, topped with hard-boiled eggs and I like it with raisins and olives to contrast the sweetness of the rice. It’s meant to be shared and eaten generously with family and friends.

Ingredients

2 cups glutinous rice (malagkit), rinsed well

1 cup jasmine or long-grain rice

1 lb chicken thighs cut into bite sized pieces

1 cup chorizo de Bilbao or Spanish chorizo

2 tbsp neutral oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, chopped

1–2 tbsp fish sauce (patis)

1 tsp turmeric powder or annatto

2 bay leaves

Black pepper, to taste

2 cups coconut milk

1½–2 cups chicken broth (plus more)

Raisins

Olives

Red and green bell peppers, sliced

Hard-boiled eggs

Scallions or fried garlic

1. Heat oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Sauté sliced chorizo and cook until the oil renders.

2. Add chicken pieces and season lightly with black pepper. Brown on all sides. Add garlic and onion and saute until soft and fragrant.

3. Stir in fish sauce letting it cook into the meat. Add turmeric (or annatto) and bay leaves, mixing well for even color.

4. Add the rinsed rice and stir for 1–2 minutes to coat every grain. Pour in coconut milk and chicken broth and bring to a gentle boil.

5. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally as the bottom may get scorched. Cook until the rice is tender and creamy. Add more broth while cooking if needed.

6. Fold in raisins and bell peppers during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Taste and adjust seasoning. Top with hard boiled eggs and other garnishes.

I transfered my Arroz Valenciana to a paella pan lined with banana leaves for presentation points