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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
- chicken pieces, preferably legs and wings6–8 piece
- coconut vinegar, 80 ml; made from coconut juice (as a variant, try balsamic vinegar)1/3 cup
- soy sauce, 60 ml1/4 cup
- garlic, crushed4 clove
- bay leaves1–2
- black peppercorns, 2.5 ml; freshly cracked (not ground)1/2 tsp
Quantities are auto-calculated from the original recipe as a guide. Items without numbers (e.g. “to taste”) are not changed.
Method 7 steps
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.
