Philippines: Adobo Chicken

I am usually pretty timely. I am usually not actually a procrastinator. And I am usually pretty organized. And I really dropped the ball on this one. Like this was a great summer dish, back when I made this past summer and even wrote up the original post. And now, it’s November and I’ve had to re-write this whole thing. You’ll never know the summer plans that I also procrastinated on making. And as my very best reader, my very procrastinating teenager will make sure heckle me back when he sees this one come through in his email. Luke, here is your chance to tell me to finish the task. So, sitting in my living room on a very wintery and snowy day, I give what was my final ode to summer with some Adobo Chicken from the Philippines. (This one was a good one too! Such a shame I waited so long!!)

Need some other fun marinades? Try these! Japanese Teriyaki, Argentinian Chimichurri, Mexican Tomatillo Salsa

Phillipines: Adobo Chicken

I did learn that the highlight of this recipe is the marinade – the adobo. Like ‘adobo’ actual means ‘marinade’ in Filipino. We used chicken, but it can be used on pork, seafood, or pretty much anything your heart desires. And then the slow braising just made it super tender. I never thought my marinande would turn to glaze – it takes a while and it was so hard to be patient. Trust the process!

Ingredients

Marinade

• 1/2 c. soy sauce
• 1/2 c. white vinegar
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp. whole peppercorns
• 1 whole garlic, chopped

Everything else:

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1/2 diced onion
• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix all the marinade ingredients and add the chicken. Cover, refridgerate and let it sit for at least an hour – the longer, the better!
2. After the marinating process is complete, add the vegetable oil to a pan and begin browning the chickens – cooking 2-3 minutes per side. Remove them from the heat and set aside both the remaining marinade and the cooked chickens.
3. Now sauté the onions until soft. Add the remaining marinade and be sure to scrape the browning on the bottom to get all that extra flavor. Add the chicken back in and reduce the heat to a simmer.
4. Continue to simmer for about 30 minutes, until the liquid becomes a glaze.

*I never thought it would turn to glaze, just give it time!

We served ours over a bed of Filipino Pancit. Chris begged for this delightful and really tasty noodle dish, buuutttt the angel hair texture didn’t end up being a favorite.

Philippines: Adobo Chicken