Tinola - Filipino chicken soup
Almost every Filipino you meet will have grown up eating this soup. Probably most cultures have their own version of chicken soup, and as you might expect, the Filipino one is loaded with garlic and ginger. Which, aside from being delicious, is full of anti-viral juju that is perfect as we head into the flu season. But you can, and should, eat it any time you like.
The tinola we grew up with is very basic. I've run across recipes that call for....well, green things. And while I myself enjoy green things, it just doesn't seem right to me in a tinola. Tinola, in my mind, is and should be very, very...beige.
Do not make the mistake of using skinless chicken breasts for tinola. Those have their place, but not here. You need the skin and the bones, so the best thing to use is legs and thighs, or back, if that's what it comes with. You also need to crack the bones so that the marrow is exposed. You'll need a big knife and mallet for this. It's a two handed operation, so I don't have a picture of it, but what I do is set the knife against the bone, and then whack the back of the knife with a mallet. If you have a more elegant way to do this, let me know.
In any case, in the pot go your cracked chicken pieces, skin and all. Add just enough oil so the skin doesn't stick but otherwise, just go ahead and sautee the pieces a bit. You are not trying to brown the pieces or render all the fat, just cook the skin and outside of the meat a little bit.
This gives you just enough time to organize your aromatics. You will need a few bay leaves, and a scattering of peppercorns.
Tinola
1-1.5 lbs bone in, skin on chicken pieces - usually back/thigh/leg bought ON SALE
4-6 cloves garlic, crushed, sliced or minced
2 inch knob of fresh ginger, minced or sliced
1-2 tsp whole peppercorns
3-4 dried bay leaves
6-8 cups water plus 1 tsp salt, OR chicken stock
Crack the bones of the leg or thigh pieces so that the marrow is exposed. Place in a deep pot and cook briefly till skin becomes translucent and meat is starting to cook. Add garlic, ginger, peppercorn and bay leaf with 1 cup water to deglaze bottom of the pot. Add remaining stock or water.
Cover loosely and simmer on low for 45-60 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings - you can add more salt, soy sauce or fish sauce. (We don't).
Serve over white steamed rice.
The tinola we grew up with is very basic. I've run across recipes that call for....well, green things. And while I myself enjoy green things, it just doesn't seem right to me in a tinola. Tinola, in my mind, is and should be very, very...beige.
Do not make the mistake of using skinless chicken breasts for tinola. Those have their place, but not here. You need the skin and the bones, so the best thing to use is legs and thighs, or back, if that's what it comes with. You also need to crack the bones so that the marrow is exposed. You'll need a big knife and mallet for this. It's a two handed operation, so I don't have a picture of it, but what I do is set the knife against the bone, and then whack the back of the knife with a mallet. If you have a more elegant way to do this, let me know.
In any case, in the pot go your cracked chicken pieces, skin and all. Add just enough oil so the skin doesn't stick but otherwise, just go ahead and sautee the pieces a bit. You are not trying to brown the pieces or render all the fat, just cook the skin and outside of the meat a little bit.
This gives you just enough time to organize your aromatics. You will need a few bay leaves, and a scattering of peppercorns.
And a good smattering of ginger and garlic. For about a pound and a half of chicken pieces, I'd use 4-6 garlic cloves depending on their size, and then a 2 inch or so knob of ginger, with the rough bits trimmed off and skin peeled. You don't actually have to peel the skin, by the way, lots of people don't. I prefer mincing the garlic, but I generally slice the ginger. But again, your choice. It is also entirely possible to take the shortcut of ginger paste in a tube or mashed garlic from a jar. A Filipino will use whatever is on hand.
Add your aromatics to the pot, and then go ahead and add enough water to help deglaze the bottom of the pan. Once all the aromatics are in and the bottom deglazed, add 6-8 cups of water plus a teaspoon of salt, or chicken stock. Cover loosely and simmer for 45-60 minutes.
Ladle your tinola over white rice in whatever proportions you want. Yes, you should see little globules of chicken fat floating on top. Yes, you can pick out the bay leaves and peppercorns (most of us have grown up accidentally crunching on a peppercorn and promptly spitting it out). If you are truly lucky and loved, your Lola will have pulled the meat off the bones for you so you don't have to. Either way, eat this and be healed.
Tinola
1-1.5 lbs bone in, skin on chicken pieces - usually back/thigh/leg bought ON SALE
4-6 cloves garlic, crushed, sliced or minced
2 inch knob of fresh ginger, minced or sliced
1-2 tsp whole peppercorns
3-4 dried bay leaves
6-8 cups water plus 1 tsp salt, OR chicken stock
Crack the bones of the leg or thigh pieces so that the marrow is exposed. Place in a deep pot and cook briefly till skin becomes translucent and meat is starting to cook. Add garlic, ginger, peppercorn and bay leaf with 1 cup water to deglaze bottom of the pot. Add remaining stock or water.
Cover loosely and simmer on low for 45-60 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings - you can add more salt, soy sauce or fish sauce. (We don't).
Serve over white steamed rice.
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