Helene's Chicken Binakol

A community recipe by purplenight

Not tested or verified by Nigella.com

Introduction

BINAKOL is a warm chicken soup with fresh young coconut juice and meat. It can be served as soup or as one of the main dishes. My version of this Filipino soup is using pure young coconut juice as soup instead of mixing it with rice wash water. I also add fresh oyster mushrooms. I hardly find young chilli leaves here in Singapore, thus i go for spinach.

Ingredients

Serves: 3-4

Metric Cups

1 tablespoon canola oil
3 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 medium onion (finely chopped)
1 centimetre piece of fresh ginger (squashed then chopped)
4 chicken legs (cut into chunks)
3 scoops coconut (juice and meat)
200 grams oyster mushrooms (sliced)
1 pinch of black peppercorns (to taste)
1 pinch of salt (to taste)
1 tablespoon thai fish sauce (nam pla)
1 bunch fresh spinach

1 tablespoon canola oil
3 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 medium onion (finely chopped)
⅖ inch piece of fresh gingerroot (squashed then chopped)
4 chicken legs (cut into chunks)
3 scoops coconut (juice and meat)
7 ounces oyster mushrooms (sliced)
1 pinch of black peppercorns (to taste)
1 pinch of salt (to taste)
1 tablespoon thai fish sauce (nam pla)
1 bunch fresh spinach

Method

Helene's Chicken Binakol is a community recipe submitted by purplenight and has not been tested by Nigella.com so we are not able to answer questions regarding this recipe.

Heat canola oil. SautÃ© garlic, onion and ginger (be careful not to burn 'em, or you will have a burnt flavour soup).

Toss in all the chicken pieces then pour a tablespoon of fish sauce. SautÃ© until the chicken meat releases its own juice without adding water. stir often.

Chop open the top shell of the three young coconuts and pour all the fresh coconut juice into the chicken pot. Let boil for 5 minutes over medium heat. Scrape the young coconut meat and mix it with the chicken.

Drop about 7 to 10 pieces of peppercorns. Simmer for another 10 minutes. Put the sliced fresh oyster mushrooms into the simmering soup. Let boil for another 3 minutes.

Add in the spinach leaves, and continue to simmer for another minute. Season with salt to taste.

NOTES : 1. do not add water into the soup. 2. use only fresh young coconut juice as soup. 3. chicken binakol MUST be served warm! 4. fancy using the coconut shells as Chicken Binakol's serving bowls. 5. garnish with parsley. 6. top the soup with chopped fresh red chilli if you prefer the soup with a bit of spicy bite.

Toss in all the chicken pieces then pour a tablespoon of fish sauce. SautÃ© until the chicken meat releases its own juice without adding water. stir often.

Drop about 7 to 10 pieces of peppercorns. Simmer for another 10 minutes. Put the sliced fresh oyster mushrooms into the simmering soup. Let boil for another 3 minutes.

Add in the spinach leaves, and continue to simmer for another minute. Season with salt to taste.