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1
Sauté the Ginger, Garlic & Onion
5 Mins
Medium heat, about 175°C (350°F) in the pot
Heat the vegetable oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add the ginger, crushed garlic and sliced onion and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring, until the onion turns soft and translucent and the ginger smells sharp and warm. Do not let the garlic brown.
Sautéing the ginger first is what makes the broth taste like tinola — raw ginger added to water gives a much flatter soup.
Done when: The onion is soft and see-through, the garlic is pale gold, and the kitchen smells of ginger.
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2
Brown the Chicken Lightly
8 Mins
Medium-high heat, about 190°C (375°F) in the pot
Add the chicken pieces to the pot in a single layer and let them sit without stirring for 3 to 4 minutes so the skin picks up a little colour, then turn and brown the other side for 3 to 4 minutes more. Stir in the fish sauce and black pepper and cook for 1 minute so the chicken takes on the seasoning.
Do not stir the chicken the moment it goes in — leaving it alone is what lets the skin colour instead of steam.
Done when: The chicken is lightly golden in patches and the fish sauce smells savoury, not raw.
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3
Add Water & Simmer Until Tender
25 Mins
Gentle simmer, about 95°C (200°F) — never a rolling boil
Pour in the cold water and drop in the knotted lemongrass. Bring to a gentle simmer, then skim off any grey foam that rises. Cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar and simmer for 25 minutes, keeping the heat low so the broth stays clear, until the chicken is tender and the thickest piece reads at least 74°C (165°F) on a thermometer.
Skim the foam in the first 5 minutes and keep the simmer gentle — a hard boil clouds the broth and toughens the chicken.
Done when: The chicken pulls easily from the bone and the broth is clear and golden, not cloudy.
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4
Add the Green Papaya
10 Mins
Gentle simmer, about 95°C (200°F)
Lift the lid and add the green papaya cubes. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until the papaya is tender but still holds its shape — a fork should slide in with a little resistance. Taste the broth and add salt a pinch at a time, or a splash more fish sauce, until it tastes savoury and bright with ginger.
Papaya goes from tender to mushy quickly, so start checking at 8 minutes and take the pot off the heat as soon as it yields to a fork.
Done when: The papaya is pale, almost translucent at the edges, and tender without falling apart.
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5
Wilt the Moringa Leaves
2 Mins
Gentle simmer, about 95°C (200°F), then off the heat
Stir in the moringa leaves and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes only, just until they wilt and turn a deeper green. Lift out the lemongrass knot and discard it. Take the pot off the heat at once — the leaves keep cooking in the hot broth.
The leaves need almost no time; overcooking turns them dark and bitter, so this is the last thing that goes in.
Done when: The leaves are wilted and bright green, not dark or slimy.
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6
Rest & Serve with Rice
5 Mins
Serve hot, above 63°C (145°F)
Let the soup rest for 5 minutes so the flavours settle, then ladle it into deep bowls with two or three pieces of chicken, papaya and plenty of broth in each. Serve at once with steamed rice on the side and lime or calamansi wedges for squeezing over the bowl.
Spoon a little broth over the rice in the bowl — that is how the soup is eaten in Palau, with the rice soaking up the ginger broth.
Done when: The bowl is steaming, the chicken is hot through to the bone, and the rice is on the table.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Ladle the hot soup into deep bowls with chicken, papaya and plenty of broth, and serve with steamed rice and lime wedges — the rice is for soaking up the ginger broth.
Palau
55m
France
Vietnam