Filipino Chicken Adobo
This easy-to-prepare Filipino dish truly brings back memories of my childhood. Being of Filipino and Chinese descent and growing up in the Philippines, adobo was a dish I ate frequently back then. I also made it often during my university days in Canada. It was easy, inexpensive and didn’t require a lot of cleaning. Also, all my roommates enjoyed it as well. In fact, whenever I speak with non-Filipinos about Filipino food, adobo seems to be the first dish they mention.
So here it is, with a little bit of flare, but without venturing too far from what adobo should be.
Ingredients:
Cook time 30 minutes
1 kg chicken thighs and drumsticks
10 cloves garlic, crushed
5 pieces bay leaves, whole
1/2 cup spiced soy sauce
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup ginger, crushed or sliced
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 star anise, whole
1 1/2 tbsp Black Maple
3 tbsp garlic, minced (for Garlic Fried Rice)
6 cups day old rice (for Garlic Fried Rice)
Instructions:
Preheat a heavy pan to medium heat. Once preheated, sear the chicken thighs for about 2 minutes on each side. For the drumsticks, just try to get as much colour all around it
Add the spiced soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, garlic, bay leaves, ginger, star anise and Black Maple into the pan. Bring the heat to low and cover for 10 minutes
Turn the chicken over, cover again and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside
With the lid open, reduce the sauce for about 10 minutes or until it becomes slightly thickened. Return the chicken to the pan, cover and turn off the heat
For Garlic Fried Rice: In a frying pan or wok, put 2 tablespoons of canola oil and minced garlic and bring it to medium heat. Keep it simmering until you see the garlic starting to turn slightly brown. Make sure not to burn the garlic as it gets very bitter. Pour the cooked rice and stir for 5 minutes. Season with salt. Feel free to add a bit of butter. Serve with the adobo!