Adobo! What is that, exactly? Well, it depends on who you ask.
Adobo is a Spanish word which in this context means pickle. Historically it was a process used to preserve food, something we still do today. With the advent of refrigeration, however, pickling is no longer just a way to preserve food (especially meat) but a way to flavor it. Meats are marinated for a short period of time in a mixture that includes vinegar (the adobo element) before being cooked.
When the Spanish went a-conquering back in the day they introduced the concept of adobo wherever they went. Not surprisingly I suppose, the local populations applied their own cultural twist to the basic concept. All over central and south America you will find variations on the theme in the different cooking cultures. One of the best known here in the US is Chipotle en Adobo from Mexico. Chipotle chiles are dried and smoked jalapeño chiles that are packed in a tomato/vinegar based sauce – Adobo!
When the Spanish first made their way across the Pacific Ocean to the Philippines they saw that the local islanders were not storing their food in a vinegar based sauce but actually cooking in it. Their process was similar enough to the Spanish adobo that the Spaniards called it that. The original name for the cooking of meat in a vinegar based sauce is, I believe, long lost to history.
Although today almost anything can be cooked in adobo, Chicken Adobo is thought to be the unofficial national dish of the Philippines . Pork adobo is also very popular.
In terms of “authenticity” I don’t think there is any one recipe or process in the Philippines that can claim to be the definitive recipe. Across the regions, towns and even within families, everybody has their own way to prepare chicken adobo. All of them no doubt very good in their own right. I made this particular version a few weeks ago and thought it the best I had ever tasted and so I wanted to share it with you. It is not a complicated recipe; in fact, it is remarkably simple and I hope you try it.
The chicken adobos I have eaten in the past have been cooked in a mixture of soy sauce and vinegar. This one adds coconut milk to balance out the the saltiness of the soy sauce and the astringency of the vinegar. Yum!
I cannot take any credit for this recipe; it comes from the folks at America’s Test Kitchen. ATK, for those who don’t know, started many years ago as a food magazine called Cook’s Illustrated (still published today). 14 years ago they started producing a TV show called America’s Test Kitchen and later, it’s sibling, Cook’s Country. So, thanks to ATK for this.
This recipe will serve 4-6 people depending on their appetites. You can reduce the quantity of chicken if you like but keep the sauce ingredients the same. You will have an excess of sauce but that’s OK, it is so tasty you won’t regret it.
Chicken Adobo
Equipment
- 12" skillet
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs bone in, skin on
- 1/3 cup soy sauce (80ml)
- 1 can coconut milk 13.5 oz (400 ml)
- 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar (180ml)
- 8 garlic cloves skins removed and lightly crushed
- 4 dried bay leaves or 2-3 fresh leaves
- 2 Tsp freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl toss the chicken with the soy sauce and set aside for 30-60 minutes to marinate.
- Remove the chicken pieces from the bowl allowing excess soy sauce to drip back into the bowl and place skin side down in a large, cold skillet.
- Set the skillet over medium high heat and cook the chicken until the skin is well browned – about 7-10 minutes depending on your stove's heat output. Leave the chicken alone at this point and don't be tempted to fuss with it. Lift a corner of one piece to see how it is progressing and take it out of the pan when it has a nice golden brown color.
- While the chicken is browning mix the coconut milk, vinegar, garlic, bay leaves and pepper into the soy sauce left in the bowl.
- Remove the chicken to a plate and pour off any fat in the pan.
- Return the chicken to the pan, skin side down and pour in the coconut milk mixture.
- Bring to a boil over high heat then reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook, uncovered for about 20 minutes.
- Flip the chicken over and continue cooking another 10 minutes or more if the thighs are particularly large. It should be tender enough that the meat will offer little or no resistance when poked with the tip of a small paring knife.
- Remove the chicken to a plate and tent with foil to keep it warm.
- If the sauce seems too thin, turn up the heat and reduce it until it thickens a bit. It should be just viscous enough to coat the back of a spoon. See note below.
- When the sauce is the consistency you want it, return the chicken to the pan to warm it through and coat with sauce.
- Serve the chicken over rice with the sauce.
Notes
