Chicken Adobo

Heads up: no pictures in this post. A says good photos make the success of a blog, dooming this one to failure since its conception. Oh well.

Since my oven is taking a hiatus, I have decided to post some food recipes we've been using these days. I really don't enjoy cooking as much as baking. I find cutting stuff THE WORST PART especially onions. I resort to wearing my ski goggles for this manoeuvre. I've been eating chicken adobo since young. There are so many variations to this dish but I grew up eating a very sour version so that's what I love. I've never tried cooking this dish. I once spoke to a Filipino nurse and it seemed like to get it right you needed a special vinegar only obtainable from the Philippines/his grandmother's grandmother. I found this recipe when I went down that rabbit hole of looking for new ones to try. It seemed easy enough and I've done it twice now. It is souuurrrr and so tasty. Highly recommend.

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/food-recipes/a31836/chicken-adobo-over-gingery-rice-recipe-ghk0415/

Added pro: there are only 2 steps. Perfect for lazy people like me.

Chicken adobo - serves 2 greedy people, for like 2.5 meals

1 cup lower-sodium soy sauce I used Kikkoman soy sauce. No mention of sodium level

3/4 cup rice wine vinegar I used around 1/2 cup chin kiang vinegar (love this) + 1/4 cup mirin so that it wasn't too sour

1 medium onion, chopped didn't use this first time round and it was fine but the onions do add a nice sweet touch

1/4 cup brown sugar used less than 1/4 cup...with demerara sugar

2 tbsp. lime juice squeezed half a lemon - might not be necessary since I used vinegar ++

1 tbsp. fresh ginger, grated the first time I cooked this I just put some diced frozen ginger in, worked alright

3 garlic cloves, smashed ditto above with frozen garlic

3 bay leaves 100% not necessary. We did have some bay leaves the second time round and did it make a difference? Who knows.

2 tsp. pepper

2 lb. skinless, boneless chicken thighs translates to about 1kg

The website even gives you the recipe for accompanying ginger rice and green beans but I just washed some chinese cabbage and put it on a steamer over the pot for 20-25 mins + plain ole white rice. When I say one pot meal, I mean one pot meal.

1. In a 5-quart saucepot, mix soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, onion, brown sugar, lime juice, ginger, garlic, bay leaves, and pepper. Add chicken thighs. Cover; heat to simmering on high. Reduce heat; simmer 1 hour.

This step literally means put everything together in a pot and heat it up. I used my favourite Happycall pot which my mum hand carried all the way from Singapore. It's like a cheaper version of Le Creuset, not that I have ever cooked in a Le Creuset pot. Google says mine is a 4Qt size and it works. Doesn't matter if chicken is not submerged in marinade but do try and press down for extra goodness. Doesn't need to be 1h but meat does start to peel off real easily after 1h. YUM.

2. Serve with long-grain brown rice (cooked as label directs, with ginger, bay leaf, salt, and pepper) and green beans (steamed with garlic and lime juice).

I didn't even do this. Just steamed my chinese cabbage. So it could be cut down to a 1 step dish. Win.

I now have 2 folders in my Bookmarks: Recipes i.e. those I want to try and Winning. This goes under Winning.

Enjoy,

Nic x