Fish sauce or the local patis has gained its reputation as an excellent seasoning, and rightly so. This is a kitchen staple that will kick flavor up a notch of any dish, more than the ordinary salt. My go to ingredient for umami flavor. Try it with this local dish everyone loves: chicken broth soup with sweetness of papaya for a really comforting meal. 

INGREDIENTS

1 Whole Free Range Chicken, cut into serving pieces
1 tsp Organic Patis (Fish sauce) 
1 medium sized Onion, chopped
3 cloves Garlic, chopped
2 thumb-sized fresh Ginger, peeled and minced
1 small green Papaya, cut into 2 inch wedges
1 tbsp. Cooking oil (canola or coconut oil)
5 cups water
1 small bunch of Chili leaves

DIRECTIONS

On a pot or a wok, saute the garlic, onion and ginger for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the chicken and cook in oil with the other ingredients, sauteing for a few minutes until the chicken changes color and the fat renders. You want to achieve some color change in the chicken, but it should not be fried all the way. Cooking it using this sangkucha tecnique, instead of direct boiling, allows caramelization in the ingredients and combines it nicely with the flavor of the chicken.

Add the water and simmer for 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

Add the papaya and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, until the color turns vibrant green and flesh is tender. Use your fork to test for doneness. Turn off the heat, add the chili leaves and let cook for another 3 minutes or until the leaves are properly blanched. Season with patis or fish sauce to taste.

Serve on the side of cooked white rice, or brown rice. Enjoy!