Filipino Culture Dialog: Food (Adobo)

Filipino Chicken Adobo: A Basic Recipe

Adobo is a fantastic and very popular Filipino dish! It's known for its savory, tangy, and sometimes slightly sweet flavor. The great thing about Adobo is that while there are core ingredients, many families have their own special twists.

Here’s a basic and common way to make Chicken Adobo (Adobong Manok):

What is Adobo?

Adobo is a cooking process in the Philippines that involves braising meat (most commonly chicken or pork, or a combination of both) in a marinade of vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, black peppercorns, and bay leaves. The vinegar and soy sauce not only flavor the dish but also act as preservatives, which is why it was a practical cooking method before refrigeration.

Typical Ingredients:

• Protein: About 2 lbs (around 1 kg) of chicken pieces (bone-in, skin-on thighs and drumsticks are popular for flavor and moisture, but you can use other parts or even pork belly/shoulder cut into cubes).
• Marinade/Sauce:
  • Soy sauce ½ cup (Filipino soy sauce is often preferred, but regular soy sauce works)
  • White vinegar ½ cup (cane vinegar or rice vinegar are also common)
  • 1 whole head of garlic (about 6-8 cloves), crushed or roughly minced
  • 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns (you can lightly crush them for more flavor)
  • 2-3 dried bay leaves
• Optional additions (depending on preference and regional variations):
  • 1 tablespoon cooking oil (for browning the meat)
  • 1 small onion, sliced (some like to sauté this with garlic)
  • 1-2 teaspoons of sugar (brown or white, to balance the tanginess)
  • ¼ to ½ cup water (if you want more sauce or if it's reducing too quickly)
  • Some recipes include a bit of coconut milk (Adobo sa Gata) for a creamier sauce.

Equipment:

• Large bowl for marinating
• Large, heavy-bottomed pan or Dutch oven with a lid

Basic Steps to Make Chicken Adobo:

1. Marinate (Optional but Recommended):

   In a non-reactive bowl (glass or ceramic), combine the chicken, soy sauce, crushed garlic, peppercorns, and bay leaves.

   Mix well, cover, and let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or even better, for a few hours or overnight. This helps the flavors penetrate the meat.

   If you're short on time, you can skip the marinating and just combine everything in the pot.

2. Sear the Chicken (Optional but Adds Flavor):

   If you marinated the chicken, remove it from the marinade, reserving the marinade. Pat the chicken pieces dry with a paper towel.

   Heat the cooking oil in a large pot, Dutch oven, or heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat.

   Sear the chicken pieces in batches until nicely browned on all sides. This adds a deeper flavor. Don't cook them through at this stage.

   Remove the browned chicken and set aside.

3. Sauté Aromatics (If using onion):

   If you're using onion, you can add it to the same pot now and sauté until softened (about 3-5 minutes). If you didn't reserve some garlic from the marinade, you can add more fresh garlic here and sauté until fragrant.

4. Braise the Adobo:

   Return the seared chicken (if you seared it) to the pot.

   Pour the reserved marinade over the chicken. If you didn't marinate, add the soy sauce, garlic, peppercorns, and bay leaves now.

   Add the vinegar. An important tip often shared is NOT to stir the vinegar in immediately. Let it come to a boil and simmer for a few minutes (about 5-10 minutes) without covering. This is said to cook off the harshness of the vinegar.

   After this initial simmer, you can add water (if using) and sugar (if using).

   Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer for about 25-40 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and very tender. The cooking time will depend on the size and type of chicken pieces. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.

5. Thicken the Sauce (Optional):

   If you want a thicker sauce, once the chicken is tender, you can remove the lid and simmer for another 10-15 minutes, allowing the sauce to reduce and thicken to your liking.

   Some people also like to remove the chicken at this point and broil it for a few minutes to get a crispier skin, then return it to the sauce.

6. Rest and Serve:

   Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning if necessary (more soy sauce for saltiness, a bit more sugar for sweetness, or a touch more vinegar for tang).

   It's often said that Adobo tastes even better the next day as the flavors continue to meld!

Tips for Success:

• Don't be afraid of the vinegar: It's a key component. Letting it simmer uncovered initially helps mellow its strong aroma.
• Balance is key: The classic Adobo taste is a balance of salty (from soy sauce) and tangy (from vinegar), with the aromatics of garlic, bay leaf, and peppercorn. Adjust to your preference.
• Low and slow: Simmering gently makes the meat tender and allows the flavors to develop.
• Variations are welcome: Feel free to experiment once you've tried the basic version. Some people add potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, or even a bit of chili for a kick.

Enjoy making (and eating) your Adobo! It's a truly comforting and iconic dish.