Chicken Adobo | Recipe.
Adobo is the unofficial national dish of the Philippines, with countless versions throughout our over 7,100 islands. The beauty of the adobo is that one can cook this dish anywhere. Its ingredients are commonly available.
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Table of Contents
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Serve
Ingredients
●1 (3 to 4 pound) whole chicken, bone-in, skin-on, cut into 8 pieces
●1 cup apple cider vinegar (I like Heinz)
●1/4 cup soy sauce (I like the Filipino brand Silver Swan, or use Chinese soy sauce)
●1 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed
●2 bay leaves
●Cloves from 1 whole head of garlic (about 10 to 12), halved if large
●2 cups chicken broth or water
●Salt to taste
●1/4 cup vegetable oil, for frying
●Steamed rice, for serving
Method
1.Marinate the chicken:
In a large bowl, combine the chicken pieces with the vinegar, soy sauce, peppercorns, bay leaves, and garlic. Keep marinated chicken and liquid in a resealable plastic bag or a non-reactive covered container. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or up to overnight.
2.Begin cooking the adobo:
Combine the chicken and its marinade with the broth or water in a large stockpot or Dutch oven. Add a pinch of salt. Do not stir and do not cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
3.Lower the heat and simmer:
When the liquid boils, lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. You can now stir the ingredients, if needed. Simmer uncovered until the liquid is reduced by half and the chicken registers at least 165° F on an instant-read thermometer. Keep an eye on the adobo so that the meat doesn’t burn and the liquid does not totally evaporate. Lower heat if the pot has become too hot.
4.Remove the chicken from the pot:
Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken pieces and drain well on paper towels. Remove the garlic and pat dry as well. If you like, discard the bay leaves and whole peppercorns from the sauce (don’t worry about it too much). Set the sauce aside, off the heat.
5.Fry the chicken:
In a wide saucepan or deep skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. When oil ripples (about 350 F if using a thermometer), add the garlic and fry for 1-2 minutes. Do not let the garlic burn or it affects the outcome of the adobo flavor. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Then, to the same oil, add the chicken pieces one at a time and fry the chicken until the skin is crisp and dark brown, about 5 minutes per side. If your pan is too small to fit all the chicken at once without crowding, do this in two batches.
Drain the chicken briefly on paper towels to absorb the excess grease.
6.Serve:
Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning with more salt, if needed.
Place the chicken on a rimmed serving platter. Sprinkle the fried garlic all over. Pour the remaining adobo sauce over the fried pieces.
7.Serve warm with steamed rice.
This chicken adobo can be cooked ahead, and actually tastes better a day or two after. Frozen, adobo can last up to 2 months.