Chicken binakol
A rustic Filipino soup cooked by simmering chicken, ginger, shallots, garlic and lemongrass in coconut water seasoned with fish sauce. Tender coconut meat and spinach complete the dish.
Servings 6 people
Ingredients
- 1 kilogram chicken leg quarters (2.2 pounds)
- 1 two-inch knob ginger
- 2 stalks lemongrass
- 2 shallots
- 3 to 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 6 cups coconut water from two to three young coconuts
- fish sauce
- coconut meat from two to three young coconuts, cut into thin strips
- 2 large handfuls spinach leaves
Instructions
- Wipe the chicken leg quarters with paper towels.
- Peel the ginger and thinly slice.
- Measure about six inches from the root ends of the lemongrass, cut and discard the top portions.
- Peel off the discard the tough outer layers of the lemongrass, and thinly slice the tender inner portions.
- Peel the thinly slice the shallot.
- Peel and lightly smash the garlic cloves.
- Heat the cooking oil in a pot.
- Saute the ginger, lemongrass, garlic and shallot until aromatic.
- Lay the chicken pieces, skin side down and leave to brown. Flip over and continue browning.
- Pour in the coconut water and about a quarter cup of fish sauce.
- Bring to the boil, lower the heat, cover the pot and simmer until the chicken meat easily separates from the bones.
- Scoop out the chicken and cool.
- Add the coconut meat to the simmering broth.
- Debone the chicken.
- Add the deboned chicken and spinach to the soup.
- Cover and simmer until the spinach is wilted.
- Taste the broth and add more fish sauce, if needed, before serving your chicken binakol.
- Serve as a starter course or pair with rice as a main dish.
