Chicken Adobo

By cookism

The thing about national dishes is you either get it or you don’t. For the chicken adobo, we instantaneously understand why the Filipinos rave about it—even coming up with two versions of it. This slow-cooked delicacy is all about the tender chicken, coated with an umami-rich glaze resulting from the perfect combination of garlic, soy sauce and vinegar. This is comfort food we simply can’t get enough of, and we’re sure you’ll concur with one taste.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup cane vinegar
• 8 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves (preferably fresh)
• 6 assorted chicken thighs and drumsticks
• Vegetable oil
• 3 whole bird-eye chillies

Details

Servings 2
Adapted from cookism.net

Preparation

Step 1

1. Combine soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, black peppercorns and bay leaves in a medium bowl. Add in chicken pieces and cover bowl with a plastic wrap. Place it in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 2 hours.
2. Remove and drain chicken pieces from the marinade. Reserve remaining marinade for later use. Heat a stainless steel pan over medium heat. When the pan is preheated, add in some oil and place chicken pieces into the pan skin-side down. Brown all sides, then transfer them onto a tray, making sure not to overcook them. Discard excess oil and pour in the marinade. Add in whole chillies and cook sauce over high heat until it starts to boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and return the chicken pieces back into the pan to cook.
3. Baste chicken with the sauce frequently until chicken is cooked through and sauce is reduced into a sticky consistency. You can add a little water along the way when the sauce gets too dry.
4. Serve piping-hot chicken adobo with fragrant rice.