Warning: the story of the origin of this dish is a tad nasty, but it has to be told. In case you cannot stomach such morbidity, please skip the proceeding paragraphs and go straight to the recipe below.
Okay, you’re still reading this, so I presume you have a huge appetite for adventure or probably you just don’t really care. Either way, I congratulate you for having great tolerance and unwavering courage in discovering the truth behind the everyday food that we greedily devour. Give yourself…er…a pat on the back!
Seriously, Chicken Talunan, as the name suggests, are “supposedly” fighting cocks who have lost their battles during cockfights. Talunan is a Filipino word that literally translates to defeated or in a more demeaning term — loser. In short, the chicken meat used in preparing this dish traditionally comes from cocks who are defeated or who died because of the fight. I don’t really know how cockfights are being played, (and, personally, I’m not a supporter of the game), but I presume the losing cock would go to the winner. That is when the dish Chicken Talunan was born.
That wasn’t much of an icky introduction, was it? Actually, if I’m not mistaken, the same term is also used for defeated horses. But that’s another story altogether.
Anyway, the meat in our Chicken Talunan recipe did not come from the battle ring, thank God. We bought them straight from the supermarket. The way it is prepared is so easy probably because it is meant to be a quick meal to be served immediately during victory celebration after winning the cockfight. In other words, as a pulutan.
The way Chicken Talunan is prepared is like a combination of Adobo and Paksiw, except that it has ginger and the meat is not fried in oil. Right, some Paksiw recipes have ginger, but your argument is still irrelevant. Fast and easy, it is almost a one-step recipe because the ingredients are dumped in all at once.
Try it out yourself at home without learning how to cockfight. I just hope you haven’t lost your appetite yet. Here’s the recipe for Chicken Talunan:
Chicken Talunan
You will need:
- 1 kilo chicken, cut into serving sizes
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup cane vinegar
- 8 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 tbps ginger, peeled, crushed, and julienned
- 1 tspn peppercorn
- 4 pcs bay leaf (laurel)
- 1 pork bouillon cube
- 1 tbsp fish sauce (patis)
- 1 tspn rock salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- a dash of MSG (vetsin)
How to prepare:
- In a large saucepan, place all the ingredients. Cover and bring to a boil over medium heat. Do not stir.
- Once it starts boiling, lower the heat. Let it simmer for about 30 minutes before stirring. Occasionally check if the liquid has dried up. Add more water if necessary.
- Check the chicken meat if cooked. Taste test if more seasoning is needed.
- Serve with rice.
Naalala ko tuloy tatay ko (rip) nung isinama nya ako sa sabungan at nanalo kami, sa amin ang talunan. Malasa at masarap ang manok na ito pero medyo matigas ang laman kaya palaging adobo ang luto nito kasi pinupulutan ng mga kumpare ng tatay ko.
I will try this recipe using native chicken kasi bago po ito sa aking panlasa.
Maraming Salamat
That is so deliciuse but i want the healthy cooking foods
Well, unfortunately, most Filipino dishes are not exactly “healthy.” Hah! Check out the link on the sidebar for our vegan and vegetarian dishes.
so delicious and interesting..explore your ways of cooking to this site.
Thanks, Gina!
interesting recipe name. been looking for other ways to cook chicken. will definitely try this! thanks for sharing!
The City Roamer
Hi The City Roamer! You’re welcome. Let me know if you like it or not.