If paella escaped from Spain, sailed to China, and did some soul-searching along the way, you'd have arroz gordo, the namesake dish at Chicago's Fat Rice. The generous pot of aromatic rice, curry-scented chicken, and (much) more can be traced back to Macau, the former Portuguese colony in China, where it's almost always served at home. Chefs Conlon and Lo took inspiration from foreign-language cookbooks; their version is a blend of Portuguese and Chinese cooking that Conlon calls "the original fusion."
Pulling off this centerpiece-worthy dish is a matter of knowing when to get serious (hint: prep!) and when to chill. Here's our approach.
Strategize
Most of this dish can be made in advance: Plump the raisins and caramelize the soffritto up to three days ahead. Marinate the chicken thighs and scrub the clams the day before. After that, everything except the shellfish, which should be cooked just before you eat, comes together in a single pot.
Improvise
There's no one way to make arroz gordo. Fat Rice's recipe uses chef Abraham Conlon's favorite ingredients, but if they're not yours, change them up. Can't find head-on prawns? Use regular shrimp and skip the stuffing. Clams not pristine? Move on: It's more important to use the best ingredients.
Attack
Set the pot of Fat Rice on the table and let guests dig in: This is not a dish for shy eaters, as you'll see when everybody starts tackling the shellfish on top. The best part—scraping away the dark, crisped patches of rice from the bottom of the pot—is saved for last.
Recipe notes
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