Adobo Chicken (Philippine)
Adobo chicken is the most indigenous in the Philippines. It has evolved over the centuries to prepare foods that won't spoil easily in a tropical climate. The vinegar gives it a tangy taste and acts as a preservative. Each region has its own version, but pork and/or chicken are most commonly used. The steps below are the traditional way of making adobo. The soy sauce gives it a savoury taste.
Ingredients
- 6–8 chicken pieces, preferably legs and wings
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) vinegar made from coconut juice (as a variant, try balsamic vinegar)
- ¼ cup (60 ml) soy sauce
- 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 1–2 bay leaves
- ½ tsp (2.5 ml) freshly cracked (not ground) black peppercorns
Method
- Put chicken, garlic, peppercorn, soy sauce and vinegar in a pan and bring to a boil.
- When chicken is cooked, put chicken pieces in a colander and drain. Put aside the pot with soy sauce and vinegar.
- When chicken pieces are no longer draining, fry them in hot oil at medium heat. Have a cover ready for splatters.
- Sear the chicken, browning on all sides.
- Put chicken pieces back in the pot with soy sauce and vinegar and bring to simmer. Add 1–2 pieces of bay leaf.
- Cook until the sauce has largely evaporated; some take this to an extreme and cook until the sauce has thickened and adhered to the chicken, which begins to make a popping noise due to the high, direct heat.
- Serve over hot steamed rice. May be eaten with tomato slices in fish sauce, tapsilog, soy sauce, vinegar, hotdog, etc.