Champorado for Autumn

“Chocolate is HAPPINESS that you can eat “
Ursula Kohaupt

The weather is getting cooler and it’s the perfect time for my favorite Filipino comfort food – Chicken Arroz Caldo and Champorado.

Champorado with Smoked Gouda Cheese and Bacon platter

Champorado reminds me of Sunday mornings when I was a little girl. I like to eat it with lots of powdered milk. But my childhood Champorado that I remember was not chocolatey enough for me.

Champorado with whipped cream and chopped toffee

Years later, my friend Ia, shared her Champorado recipe using Philippine Dutche brand chocolate, and condensed milk which she mixed while cooking. This made her Champorado super creamy and chocolatey. My four sons loved it but they don’t like tuyo (dried fish) which is the traditional pairing. So they eat their Champorado with cheddar cheese. I still had tuyo!

And then I discovered a recipe from an Irish baker, Gemma Stafford. She uses two types of chocolate – cocoa powder and dark chocolate (she also adds butter). I use three! Hershey cocoa powder, dark chocolate chips and semi sweet chocolate chips. This takes my Champorado to the next level! This is how I like it. But this time, I pair it with bacon and smoked gouda cheese. Decadent!

CHAMPORADO RECIPE

1 cup rice (glutinous if available – I use sushi rice)
1 cup water
1 cup evaporated milk (this is creamier than whole milk or 2%)
1/2 can condensed milk
1 cup Hershey cocoa powder
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1 cup semi sweet milk chocolate chips
sugar
1/2 t salt
butter
1 t vanilla

Three chocolate : Hershey Cocoa, Semi-sweet dark chocolate and Milk chocolate chips

I don’t wash my rice because it drains away the starch which make the rice sticky
Mix ALL the ingredients in a deep pot in medium heat for 25 mins.
Adjust your water if it gets too sticky.
Don’t let all the liquid evaporate to make the champorado saucy.
Simmer until rice is tender.

Serve with bacon or cheese (or tuyo!)