Tinolang Manok

1 whole chicken, parts chopped Ginger, about 2 or 3 Chicken bouillon cubes, 3 to 4 , a.k.a. Knorr cubes Fish sauce a.k.a. "patis" Black peppercorns Laurel leaves 2 green papayas White onions, about 2 or 3 "Hugas bigas" If available, If not, chicken stock and water "Dahon ng sili" Optional: one green chili for extra spice

1. Clean and chop the chicken Into pieces, from wings to breast. Set aside. 2. Dice the onions. 3. Peel the ginger, then roughly chop or slice the ginger into smaller pieces. Add more if flavor is lacking, later on. 4. Wash the rice that will accompany the tinolang manok, and then keep the last batch of the "hugas bigas." If this is not on hand, open a can of chicken stock, place it in a container, and then fill up the can with an equal amount of water. Add more stock and water as necessary. 5. Wash the sili leaves, and set aside to drain. 6. Wash the green papayas. Peel them carefully and meticulously, as the meat of the unripe papaya tends to be slippery, and the green skin left behind by the initial stroke of the peeling is bitter. After peeling, cut the papaya at the center,

and then scrape out the seeds and white lining with a spoon thoroughly. Cut the papaya into smaller cubes, and repeat the process with the other papaya. 7. This is a one pot dish, so use a fairly large pot depending on how much you are planning on making. Place some canola or vegetable oil and heat it up. 8. As soon the oil is hot enough, saut the diced onions. Before they turn too transparent, add in the ginger. Saut thoroughly. 9. Add the chicken. Cook for about 5 minutes or so. Use a wooden spoon to mix the chicken around the pot, as the meat will get tenderer the longer it is fried, and might break if handled improperly. 10. Afterwards, add the fish sauce for flavor. Add according to taste. Safest measurement would be around three tablespoons, but then usually this is just measured by eye. 11. Continue to cook until the chicken has absorbed most of the flavors. Add the hugas bigas / chicken stock, then turn up the heat to medium-high. 12. Add a handful or two of black peppercorns, 3-4 pieces of the laurel leaves, and the green chili (optional). Cover the pot and wait for it to simmer. 13. When it comes to a slight boil, add the bouillon cubes. Start off by adding three, and then wait for the soup to come to a boil again. If on your next taste, it is still lacking in flavour, either add another chicken broth cube, or more ginger. 14. Add the green papayas as soon as the chicken is almost completely tender and cooked. 15. When the green papayas become soft, turn off the heat and add the dahon ng sili. Mix carefully. Then serve. (Recommended sauces when eating tinolang manok: patis with calamansi and siling labuyo, finely chopped. Enjoy!)