So I never knew that Adobo Chicken was a Filipino dish. I always thought it had it’s roots in Mexican Cuisine. When I saw this recipe the other day from Amelia Ramp via Bon Appetit I thought….that sounds easy and yummy. The combination of the vinegar and soy sauce marinade gives you the sweet and tart punch that makes your evening meal sooooo gratifying. I’ve adjusted it to my tastes, feel free to do the same. Amelia’s original recipe is pretty much in tact just morphed into my way of cooking. Served with just a short grain white rice like Calrose or sticky white or brown rice and this is to die for! Pick up the chicken the day before and marinate it overnight. You will be thrilled with the results.
The picture shown is just chicken legs but the color is what you are working towards. A deep mahogany. Trust me you will love this recipe!
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs of boneless chicken thighs
- 6garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
- 2 Thai chilies, halved lengthwise or use 1 teaspoon of Chinese chili garlic paste
- 1 inch piece of ginger, sliced
- ¾ cup unseasoned rice vinegar or sherry vinegar
- ¾cup soy sauce
- 2tablespoons Boo Sous Salt or light brown sugar
- 2tablespoons canola oil
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
- 1/2 bunch cilantro
- 4 stems cilantro, chopped for finishing
- white rice
- scallions, chopped for finishing
Preparation:
- Place chicken, garlic, chilies, ginger, vinegar, soy sauce, Boo Sous Salt and 1/2 bunch of cilantro in a large bowl or plastic bag toss to combine. Marinate the chicken for the day or overnight.
- Heat oils in a medium heavy saucepan over medium. Add chicken, reserving marinade, and saute until the chicken begins to brown and caramelize. Approximately 3-4 minutes per side. 8 minutes total.
- Mix marinade, cornstarch and ½ cup water and add to the pan; bring to a simmer. Finish simmering the chicken in the sauce. Approximately 10-15 minutes. Watch the pan because of the sugar in the mix it could evaporate and burn. Each burner works differently. What you are looking for is a beautiful mahogany glazed chicken. If the sauce thickens too quickly add a bit more water until you get a velvety sauce.
- Serve chicken over rice, spoon sauce over the chicken and rice finish with chopped, scallions.
Photograph by Alex Lau