Helene'S Chicken Binakol - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 tablespoon canola oil
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
25 g gingerroot, chopped then squashed
4 pieces chicken legs, cut into chunks
3 pieces whole young fresh coconut (juice & meat)
200 g fresh oyster mushrooms, sliced
7 pieces peppercorns
1 dash salt
1 tablespoon fish sauce (patis)
1 bunch fresh spinach

Preparation

Heat canola oil.
Saute 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.
Saute until the chicken meat releases its own juice without adding water. stir often.
Chop open the top shell of the three young coconut 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 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 : Do not add water into the soup.
Use only fresh young coconut juice as soup.
Chicken binakol MUST be served warm!
Fancy using the coconut shells as Chicken Binakol's serving bowls.
Garnish with parsley or top the soup with chopped fresh red chilies if you prefer the soup with a bit of spicy bite.
Slurp it good!