-
1
Place the chicken in a large pot with the water, lemongrass, ginger, and pandan leaf knot and bring to the boil over high heat, then reduce to a steady simmer. Skim any foam that rises to the surface in the first minutes, so the finished broth is clear and pale gold rather than murky and bitter. Simmer until the chicken is fully cooked and the meat yields easily from the bone — the broth will be fragrant with lemongrass and ginger.
-
2
Lift the chicken from the broth and set aside to cool slightly, then remove and discard the lemongrass, ginger, and pandan leaf. Shred the chicken meat from the bones, discarding the skin and carcass; pulling the meat while it is still warm makes the fibres separate cleanly rather than tearing into ragged chunks. Reserve the shredded meat.
-
3
Return the broth to a steady simmer and add the rinsed rice directly to it — not cooked separately — so the rice releases its starch progressively into the liquid, thickening the soup to its characteristic slightly viscous, satisfying body that pre-cooked rice can never give. This is where the dish lives or dies: stir occasionally to prevent the rice from settling and catching on the base of the pot. Cook until the rice is swollen and tender and the broth has taken on a lightly starchy, porridge-adjacent consistency — less time gives a brothy soup, more time a congee-like porridge.
-
4
Return the shredded chicken to the pot and season with salt. Stir to combine and allow the chicken to warm through in the broth until the soup is uniformly hot and the rice and chicken are evenly distributed.
-
5
Ladle into bowls and squeeze calamansi juice over each portion at the table rather than into the pot, so the acid keeps its sharp, bright edge rather than cooking off into flatness. Scatter Chinese celery leaves and a generous pinch of fried shallots over each bowl. The garnish is complete when the shallots give an audible crunch against the soft, starchy soup.