What's for Dinner ? Chicken Binakol !

 When my husband and I were newly married , we would frequently visit the city of Mati in Davao Oriental. His cousin has a farm there were we are always welcome to visit . We would use every holiday as an excuse to drive off to Mati and stay for a day or two . The idyllic farm setting , the then undiscovered beaches and Manang Bibing's Chicken Binakol were the things that would pull us back to Mati every chance we had . Manang Bibing is the cook of my husband's cousin and she has spoiled us all with her cooking . After every meal , we would be too full to even stand up so we would linger by the dining table and swap stories . Among all of Manang Bibing's specialties , my favorite is her chicken binakol . I would make sure that I would be by her side watching her every move whenever she cooks this dish . According to " Memories of Philippine Kitchens " by Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan , chicken binakol is a traditional Filipino dish which originated from Bacolod . The original chicken binakol was cooked using a bamboo tube as a cooking vessel for chicken , young coconut and herbs . The tube was sealed with lemongrass , covered with a banana leaf , and tied securely with a string . A hole would be dug in the ground just big enough to fit the bamboo . Live coal would be put at the bottom of the bamboo and the bamboo fitted into the hole . It was then regularly rotated and banged against a hard surface to prevent the chicken from sticking to the sides . Whew ! Before you get any ideas  let me tell you , I don't cook my chicken binakol that way , okay ? I don't have the time nor the inclination . Neither does Manang Bibing for that matter . So , whenever I crave for Manang Bibing's chicken Binakol        ( like last night ) I would just cook it Manang Bibing style . Let me share with you her recipe .

You will need :
One whole chicken , cut into pieces ( I use free range chicken , it's tastier )
2 tomatoes , quartered
1 onion , quartered
3 cups young coconut meat
3 cups coconut juice
2 stalks of lemongrass , quartered
1 small piece of ginger , sliced
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp. juice from calamansi
few pieces of sili (chili) leaves
Procedure :


After cooking , I transferred the soup into the empty coconut shell for a more authentic presentation .

 Combine all the ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil . Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is tender . When almost ready to serve , add the sili leaves .