Chicken Binakol of Iloilo
Held on the last weekend of January every year in Iloilo City is the Dinagyang festival, a religious and cultural festival in honor of the Santo Nino and to celebrate the selling of the island to Malay settlers by the Atis. Since there is no better way to culminate the festivities than over a home cooked meal shared with loved ones, let's cook an Ilonggo favorite.
Very similar to Tinola, the difference with this dish is the addition of young coconut water and its meat making the broth a little sweeter than you might be accustomed to. The key is to get a good balance of flavours by adding some saltiness (fish sauce/patis), bitterness (chili leaves/dahon ng silk), heat from some red chilis and ginger. The result is an aromatic symphony of ingredients that will have you drumming to the beat of a satisfied belly. Best served with steaming hot rice!
Ingredients:
For the Paste:
4 Lemongrass stalks (use only white lower portion)
1 Red or White Onion (small)
1 thumb Ginger (skin removed)
4 cloves Garlic (skin removed)
8 Black Peppercorns
1 tsp Salt
1 kg Chicken (thigh or breast, boneless, butterflied to same thickness & seasoned with salt and pepper)
2 Coconuts (water set aside and meat scooped out, cut thinly into strips and separated)
2 cups Chicken Stock
1 Dahon ng Sili/Red Chilis leaves (removed from stems and washed)
1 Green Papaya small (seeds removed, small bite sized pieces or spaghetti-style cut)
3-4 tbsp Fish Sauce (to taste)
1-2 Red Chilis/Siling Labuyo (seeds removed to reduce spiciness and minced)
Green Onion (minced for serving)
2 tbsp Jolly Heartmate Canola Oil
Procedure:
Add 1/2 of the oil to a heated stock pot, then sear the chicken briefly on both sides to give it color and flavor. Set chicken aside then add the other half of the oil again to the pot and sauté the paste until aromatic. Add the papaya and sauté for 2 min. Add the coconut meat, chili, stock, coconut water and fish sauce then add the chicken last. Let simmer until chicken is soft, at least 15 min. Add the dahon ng sili/chili leaves then serve in bowls or in its coconut shell and enjoy!
Very similar to Tinola, the difference with this dish is the addition of young coconut water and its meat making the broth a little sweeter than you might be accustomed to. The key is to get a good balance of flavours by adding some saltiness (fish sauce/patis), bitterness (chili leaves/dahon ng silk), heat from some red chilis and ginger. The result is an aromatic symphony of ingredients that will have you drumming to the beat of a satisfied belly. Best served with steaming hot rice!
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| Chicken Binakol |
Ingredients:
For the Paste:
4 Lemongrass stalks (use only white lower portion)
1 Red or White Onion (small)
1 thumb Ginger (skin removed)
4 cloves Garlic (skin removed)
8 Black Peppercorns
1 tsp Salt
1 kg Chicken (thigh or breast, boneless, butterflied to same thickness & seasoned with salt and pepper)
2 Coconuts (water set aside and meat scooped out, cut thinly into strips and separated)
2 cups Chicken Stock
1 Dahon ng Sili/Red Chilis leaves (removed from stems and washed)
1 Green Papaya small (seeds removed, small bite sized pieces or spaghetti-style cut)
3-4 tbsp Fish Sauce (to taste)
1-2 Red Chilis/Siling Labuyo (seeds removed to reduce spiciness and minced)
Green Onion (minced for serving)
2 tbsp Jolly Heartmate Canola Oil
 |
| For your oil, Jolly Heartmate Canola Oil is recommended |
Procedure:
Add 1/2 of the oil to a heated stock pot, then sear the chicken briefly on both sides to give it color and flavor. Set chicken aside then add the other half of the oil again to the pot and sauté the paste until aromatic. Add the papaya and sauté for 2 min. Add the coconut meat, chili, stock, coconut water and fish sauce then add the chicken last. Let simmer until chicken is soft, at least 15 min. Add the dahon ng sili/chili leaves then serve in bowls or in its coconut shell and enjoy!
