Try Macau’s Signature Dish, Arroz Gordo, & It’ll Melt Your Heart

Macau’s signature food, Arroz Gordo (literally, “substantial rice”), is a celebration feast. Arroz Gordo, a hearty, home-style stacked rice meal reminiscent of paella, is typically made for family and friends on special occasions. “Jasmine rice infused with sofrito, Chinese sausage, seasoned duck and garnished with Portuguese chicken thighs, char siu pork, linguica sausage, chubby prawns, oysters, tea eggs, croutons, different pickles and dressings. “You could get the dish named for it at Chicago’s Fat Rice if paella left Spain, traveled to China, and underwent some introspection. It all dates back to Macau, the former Portuguese territory in China, where a hearty pot of fragrant rice, chicken infused with curry, and much more are served nearly exclusively at home.

Ingredients:

Marinated Chicken,

• 5 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (around 2.5 lbs.)
• Finely cut one and a half garlic cloves
• 1 and 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 and 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1 tsp. curry powder
• 1 tsp. powdered turmeric

Raisins,

• 1/4 cup golden raisins
• 1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. Sherry or red wine vinegar (separated)

Soffritto,

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 thinly sliced red bell pepper
• 1/2 large onion, thinly sliced
• Kosher salt
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tsp. tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
• Freshly powdered black pepper

Rice,

• Kosher salt and freshly powdered black pepper
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil, split
• Thinly slice 1.5 ounces of cured Spanish chorizo
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 and 1/2 cups jasmine rice, rinsed
• 3 oz. Chinese sausage or andouille sausage, thinly sliced

Prawns & Clams

• 1 and 1/2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tsp. fermented black beans (optional)
• 2 tsp. finely chopped fresh cilantro stems
• 2 tsp. finely minced pickled chilies
• 5 large head-on prawns
• 1 lb. Manila clams, scrubbed
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• Kosher salt

Assembly,

• 1 and 1/3 Tbsp. gochugaru (coarse Korean red pepper powder)
• 1/4 tsp. of cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 and 1/3 lemons, quartered, seeds removed
• Halved hard-boiled eggs
• Oil-cured black olives
• Green Spanish olives
• Pickled chilies (serrano or jalapeño)
• Pickled sweet peppers (Peppadew or cherry)
• Thinly cut scallions for serving

Direction:

1. Combine garlic, paprika, curry powder, lemon juice, and turmeric powder in a medium bowl. Add the chicken and toss to coat. For at least six hours, cover and refrigerate.
2. In a small saucepan, combine raisins, vinegar, and 2 Tbsp water. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer, stirring regularly, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the liquid evaporates.
3. Heat the oil in a big frying pan over medium heat. Add the bell peppers and onion, then season with salt. Simmer until soft, stirring regularly, for 8 to 10 minutes. Lower the heat to low and simmer the vegetables for 45 to 60 minutes, stirring now and again, until they are caramelized.
4. Add the garlic and tomato paste to the skillet, and simmer for a further 10 to 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until the tomato paste darkens. Add salt and pepper to taste, and stir in the vinegar and paprika.
5. Drain the chicken from the marinade and season with salt and pepper. Heat two teaspoons of oil in a heavy, lidded skillet that holds five to six quarts over medium-high heat. Cook chicken with skin side down for 10 to 12 minutes, or until skin is crisp and golden; then, move to a dish. (If wanted, you can now remove the bones.)
6. Turn down the heat to medium. Bring the chorizo to a crisp in approximately two minutes, stirring often; remove to a small bowl.
7. Add the soffritto to the pan and simmer stirring frequently, until it sizzles, about 1 minute. Stir in the broth, scrap off any browned pieces, and season with salt (making sure the liquid is well-salted is crucial for a bowl of tasty rice). Add the rice, raisins, sausage, and chorizo and stir. Stir and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, place the chicken on top, cover the pot, and cook the rice gently for 20 to 25 minutes, or until it is tender. After uncovering, increase the heat to medium-high. Pour the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil around the pot’s rims and cook the rice, uncovered, for an additional 5 minutes or until the underside is crunchy.
8. In a small bowl, combine the garlic, chilies, cilantro stems, and fermented beans, if using, while the rice cooks. Leave the heads and tails on when peeling prawns. Vein, stuff cut side with a mixture of garlic, and reserve.
9. In a large pan, combine the clams and wine. For about 5 minutes or until the oysters open (throw out any that don’t), cover and boil over high heat while stirring often. Clams should be moved to a big bowl using a slotted spoon.
10. Switch to medium-low heat. Dredge prawns lightly in salt, then fry in the same skillet for about 2 minutes on each side, or until opaque throughout. Place the prawns in the bowl with the clams and reserve the pan juices in a separate bowl.
11. In a small bowl, combine gochugaru, cayenne, and salt. Dip lemon wedges’ cut sides into the spice mixture.
12. Add prawns and clams to the rice and pour the reserved pan juices over it. Add lemon wedges, eggs, pickled chiles, peppers, olives, and scallions on top.

Your dish is ready now. Enjoy delicious Arroz Gordo.

Tips:

• Asian marketplaces carry gochugaru and fermented black beans.
• Marinate chicken up to one day in advance. Maintain a cool temperature.
• Prawns can be packed an hour in advance. Leave off and rest.
• You can prepare raisins three days in advance. Once cool, cover and store.
• Sofritto can be prepared three days in advance. Once cool, cover and store.

Notes:

• Some like to top with sliced Chinese ham and a potato that has been wonderfully cut into strips for deep-frying. Additionally, some people would like to have the bread cut into thin slices as opposed to cubes.
• The chicken was traditionally chopped into large slices and placed in a skillet with water to cover and a half-tsp of salt. After bringing to a boil, lower the heat and cook until soft.
• Finally, after peeling eggs, some people split them in half, and others cut the ends of the rounds into decorative forms like zigzags. Cut the remaining two eggs lengthwise into four or eight pieces.

Cheers to Fusion Cooking!