NOTE: For some odd reason, saltiness seemed to keep fluctuating. A day after, 3 tbsp. patis + 1 tsp. salt seemed too salty; the day after that, it tasted fine. May go back to little/no salt and see how that goes.
- 2 tsp. cooking oil (I use vegetable)
- 3-4 tbsp. (or about a 3 in. by 1-1/2 in. piece) ginger, julienned (original: 2 tsp.)
- one medium onion, sliced
- 3-4 cloves garlic, lightly smashed (original: 1 clove)
- 1-1/2 lbs. chicken (original: 3 lbs.)
- 3 tbsp. patis (original: 2 tbsp.)
- salt to taste (original: 1 tsp.)
- 5 cups water
- 10 oz. spinach, roughly chopped (original: 8 oz.)
- 1 unripe papaya or 2 chayote, peeled and sliced (alas, didn't have these)
Place oil in a pot. Saute ginger, onion and garlic over medium heat for a couple of minutes.
Add chicken pieces and saute till chicken colors slightly, about 3-4 minutes each side. Season with patis and salt.
Add water. Bring to a boil, then simmer till chicken is done (about 20-30 minutes). If using chayote/green papaya, add and cook till tender but still firm, 5-7 minutes.Correct seasoning.
Add spinach. Cover and remove from heat. Serve in 4-5 minutes.
Making this for dinner tonight and bento tomorrow, albeit with a package of frozen spinach instead of the usual fresh. No salt, but 3-4 tbsp. of patis.
ReplyDeleteDown with a bad cold yesterday, so made a big pot of this for our dinner with rice. This variant: 2-1/2 lbs. chicken (drumsticks and thighs), 6 cups water, a bit more ginger (4 in. or so worth of fat root) and a lot more garlic (maybe 6-7 fat cloves - half a head), 6 cups water, maybe 1/2 tsp. of salt and maybe 3 tbsp. patis. Threw in a 10 oz bag of spinach when it was done, then covered and removed from the heat.Turned out wonderfully - rich, comforting and ever-so-slightly tangy. Coupled with lots of sleep and hot tea, it's just what the doctor ordered!
ReplyDelete