Childhood Chicken Adobo

Adobo is a filipino dish I grew up eating. I was looked after by a filipino grandma growing up and whilst I remember basically nothing from that time, the one thing that has stuck is adobo; whether pork or chicken, both are amazing.

Up until recently I had never made it. It was always my mum who would cook it, and very rarely as we don’t eat much meat at home. I asked her for her recipe and developed this version (this is not authentic, it is my take on a memory of the dish I grew up eating.)

The dish is essentially a garlic soy-braised chicken or pork w some vinegar, very simple. It takes a while since I call for marinating the chicken beforehand, but the actual time it takes to cook is approximately 30-45 minutes. There are no specific techniques involved, if you can measure out ingredients and add them into a pot, you can make this. I call for skin on chicken because the fat creates a silky luscious sauce. If you use pork belly, the texture of the sauce will be even richer since it has more fat (fat=flavour & texture). Whatever protein you use, this recipe is a great staple for you to know, just because of how uncomplicated and delicious it is (also uses most pantry ingredients!)

Tip: This dish can also be made with pork. Substitute pork belly for the chicken thighs in the same quantity. Don’t use chicken breast, the result texture of the meat will differ and can become grainy. If you don’t have both soy sauces, using normal soy sauce for both measurements work.

prep/cooking time: 1hr 10 mins

Serves: 2-3 people

Ingredients

650g skin on, bone in chicken thighs, cut into 5cm chunks

2 tbsp dark soy sauce

2 tbsp regular soy sauce

7 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed

1 tsp whole black peppercorns

2-4 bay leaves (depending how big)

1 1/2 cup (345ml) water 

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar 

2 tsp granulated sugar

Cooked white rice, to serve

Method

1. In a bowl, add chicken, both soy sauces and garlic.  Let marinate for at least 30 minutes. 

2. In an oiled pot on medium high heat, add the chicken and sear pieces- you’re not cooking it through at this point. Pour in the liquid that you marinated the chicken in along with the garlic into the pot.  Add the peppercorns, bay leaves and water. Bring everything to a boil, cover with a lid, and simmer on medium low heat for 25 mins. 

3. Remove the lid, bring the heat up to high and add the vinegar.  When the mixture comes to a boil, add the sugar and stir. Let the sauce reduce until it coats the back of a spoon, around 10 mins.  Remove the bay leaves, and serve with white rice.