Seasonal Recipe of the Week
Chicken Adobo — which I thought was going to be a southwestern recipe — turns out to be from the Philippines. It’s a super easy preparation, which is best when left to marinate overnight. Chicken thighs — which are my new favorite tasty and cheap chicken part — are recommended. Serve with some rice so you can enjoy all the lovely sauce.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups rice wine vinegar
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1/4 cup soy sauce
12 garlic cloves, peeled
3 whole bird’s eye chilies, or other fiery chili, or a few shakes of Tabasco
3 bay leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
3 to 4 pounds chicken thighs
Procedure
Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a large, nonreactive bowl or resealable plastic freezer bag. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Refrigerate overnight.
Place chicken and marinade in a large lidded pot or Dutch oven over high heat and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and tender, around 30 minutes. Transfer chicken pieces to a roasting pan. Increase the heat under the pot to medium-high, and reduce the sauce until it achieves almost the consistency of cream, about 10 minutes. Remove bay leaves and chilies. Preheat oven to 350.
Put the chicken pieces on the roasting pan into the oven for 5 minutes, until they begin to caramelize. Remove, turn chicken, baste with sauce and repeat, 5 minutes more. Place on a platter and drizzle with remaining sauce.
