Judy Ann Santos' Chicken Binakol

Judy Ann Santos-Agoncillo

Chicken Binakol (Photo by Raymund Isaac. reposted with permission from Anvil Publishing)

I love Chicken Tinola paired with Crispy Fried Tilapia, which I enjoy from head to tail. One time, I was reading a cookbook and a dish featured in it caught my attention. Pwede pala ang buko juice (I can use young coconut juice) so I added that along with the chicken broth to my Chicken Tinola. I also included shreds of buko flesh for texture, and lemongrass to make the dish gingery and aromatic and to give it a nice kick when you're slurping the hot broth on a rainy day.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons canola oil6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed1 piece medium-size onion, coarsely chopped1 piece thumb-size giner, julienned4 pieces chicken thighs4 pieces chicken legs2 tablespoons fish sauce1 small green papaya, peeled, seeded and cubed8 cups buko (coconut) juice1 cup buko flesh, shredded2 stalks of lemongrass, white part only, slightly smashed1 cup dahon ng sili (fresh chili pepper leaves)

Procedure

In a pan, heat canola oil and saute garlic, onion and ginger until fragrant.Add chicken pieces and fish sauce. Add green papaya.Add buko juice, buko flesh and lemongrass.Stir and gently simmer until all flavors come together. Add dahon ng sili and simmer for another minute. Serve hot.