Wild Garlic season is upon us and due to the current Corona climate I haven’t been able to get the usual ingredients to create this Filipino dish but instead created the same dish using local wild garlic and courgettes. This recipe also uses the stalks of broccoli and gives you all the the Tinola feels.

Traditionally Tinola is a chicken and ginger broth using green papaya or chow chow. You also traditionally use Moringa leaves to accompany the broth but I have substituted that for baby spinach and the wild garlic leaves.

What you will need:

Feeds x 4

Chicken pieces on the bone ( I butchered a whole chicken for this but you can easily use drum sticks/thighs wings etc)

150g Ginger- cut into thin slices

1 x white onion diced

Loads of garlic minced

One bunch lemongrass (outer skin taken off and bashed but kept whole)

2 x Courgettes cut into chunks

Broccoli stalks cut into chunks (optional)

Handful spinach

Handful wild garlic

Chicken stock cube or bouillion

3 tbsp Fish Sauce

Pepper

Rice wash- This is an important ingredient for this dish. Get a pot of rice that you will use to accompany this dish and rinse the rice. HOWEVER do not through the starchy water that comes off the rice. Keep this aside as it will be used for the soup base of this dish.

Method:

In a deep sauce pan brown your pieces of chicken in some vegetable oil and get them brown. Set aside once both sides of the chicken are brown and seared.
In the same pan, get half of your sliced ginger, onion and garlic frying in the pan. Once you smell the garlic cooking, add the chicken back into the pan.
Get the onion and garlic etc coating the chicken in the pan. Stir it and get the broccoli stalks and courgettes in. Sautee for a little bit coating the veg with the chicken etc together.
Add the rice wash into the pan and add more water if needed. You basically need the stock/water level to cover the chicken and veggies in the pan. Add your stock cube or some powdered chicken stock/bouilllion.
Add the fish sauce, a bit of pepper and add the rest of the ginger.
On a medium heat allow the Tinola to reduce, mixing half way through. Let this cook down for about 40-45 mins. Once the chicken is cooked, turn off the heat. Add the baby spinach and the wild garlic at the end. Just let them wilt.
Serve with rice and enjoy the broth! This dish is all about comfort and the perfect thing to eat when you aren’t feeling great. All the ginger, garlic and fresh vegetables will cure any cold and give you the goodness that you need. Enjoy!

Filipino Chicken Tinola with Wild Garlic and Courgettes