Yesterday, I wrote about how I am able to maintain two blogs along with managing a full time job and some semblance of a life. I think I did a fine job portraying myself as disciplined, dedicated and hardworking. If truth be told, I am as lazy as you make them. If I can cut corners off a task at hand, I will. Take for instance, this tiniim na manok. In my years-long experience in commercial food production, we truss up whole poultry to help it hold shape and cook evenly. This weekend, however, I didn’t want to be encumbered with wrangling a bird. I rinsed it and plopped it in the braising liquid without tying and binding. So there’s my winged friend below-its legs up in the air like it don’t care. Please, please, don’t be like me. Truss the chicken! Not only will it look nice and tight, it will be easier to maneuver out of the pot. It will be moister and juicier, too! Read more –> here on how to properly truss chicken.
Last year, I started my holiday meal series as early as September. I have to say, the effort rewarded me well with marvelous traffic and fantastic growth during the Christmas season. Thank you, guys, for making Kawaling Pinoy the hub of your holiday recipes. These coming months, I will be featuring delicious meal ideas for this season’s gatherings. First up is tiniim na manok. In this dish, a whole chicken is gently simmered in a sweet and tangy pineapple marinade until cooked through. When chicken is done, the marinade is strained and thickened to serve as dipping sauce. My friends, this tiniim na manok rightfully deserves a place on your Noche Buena table. The meat is tender, juicy and just bursting with flavor! Make sure to truss the chicken up and it will look as good as it tastes 🙂
- 1 (4 to 5 pounds) whole chicken
- 3 cups pineapple juice
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup pineapple tidbits
- 2 shallots, peeled and minced
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 thumb-size ginger, peeled and sliced thinly
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper corns
- ¼ cup cornstarch dissolved in ¼ cup water
- Rinse chicken and drain well.
- In a pot (large enough to accommodate chicken) with tight fitting lid, combine pineapple juice, soy sauce and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring regularly, until sugar is dissolved.
- Add pineapple tidbits, shallots, garlic, ginger, salt and pepper corns. Add chicken. Lower heat, cover and simmer for about 40 to 50 minutes or until chicken is cooked through (insert a thermometer on thickest part of chicken to read 165 F).
- Gently remove chicken from pot, place on serving platter and keep warm. You can chop chicken into serving pieces, if you like.
- In a colander, strain marinade mixture and discard aromatics. Return liquid back to pot and bring to a boil. Gently add cornstarch slurry and continue to cook, whisking regularly, for about 3 to 5 minutes or until thickened. Pour half of the sauce over chicken and place remaining half in a bowl to serve as dipping sauce. Garnish platter with additional pineapple tidbits. Serve hot.
Liza Reyes says
November 12, 2015 at 5:50 pmThis is so good. I used boneless skinless chicken thighs. Done in 30 minutes. I did your chicken tocino last week, also really so good, without msg (which give me headaches and palpitations). These has satisfied my craving for nostalgic Filipino foods. Thank you for sharing. You’re my to go to for Filipino recipes.
Lalaine says
November 16, 2015 at 8:45 amWhat a great idea! I might have to try it the boneless thighs, easier and faster to cook.
That’s the beauty of homecooked meals, we know what goes to our food 🙂
Carrots says
September 27, 2015 at 11:36 pmThanks for sharing… Saving for a special occassion coming up soon!
Lalaine says
October 3, 2015 at 10:01 pmYou’re welcome. I hope you enjoy it. 🙂