Filipino Favorite: Chicken Adobo Recipe
Chicken Adobo
Adobo and Me
I was only in grade school when I first learned how to cook adobo (pork and chicken). My mother taught me how and when I was in high school, I learned the different ways of cooking it. Some people like it with eggs on top, others prefer adobo with potatoes and more sauce. But what I liked most is the adobo that I learned way back in grade school, the one marinated overnight and then cooked until the sauce was absorbed. This how we do it...
Ingredients
- 1 kl chicken, (breast or legs will do)
- 3-4 pcs bay leaf
- 1/8 cup ginger, chopped
- 1tsp ground pepper
- 1-2 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup vinegar
- 10 cloves garlic, crushed
- 5 pcs calamansi
- 1tbsp sugar, *optional
- 2tbsp oyster sauce, *optional
- 1 cup water
- oil for frying
Procedure
- In a bowl, combine the following ingredients: soysauce, vinegar, garlic, bay leaf, pepper, calamansi juice and chicken. Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
- In a pan, heat oil. Saute the garlic and ginger. Add the chicken until it is golden brown. Then add in the marinade, oyster sauce, sugar and a cup of water. Simmer until the chicken meat is cooked. If the sauce has thickened but your chicken isn't cooked yet, you may add some more water. Note: Cook it over low to medium heat to avoid burning but uncooked chicken. The water helps cook your chicken fast. If your adobo is too salty, you may add some sugar. The sugar helps balance the salty and sour taste of our adobo.
- Serve right away with rice and boiled eggs on the side. You may also serve it with fried potatoes.
Some of you might be wondering why there are optional ingredients. Sugar and oyster sauce are optional for me, while for others who cook adobo, they are considered "important," as oyster sauce and sugar make adobo more flavorful. They regulate the salty and sour taste from the soy sauce and vinegar.
Sometimes, I add a few chopped wild chilies, also known as "siling labuyo" in Tagalog.
I added a cup of water to be sure that the chicken meat was well cooked, even though I already did frying from the start.
Cook Time: Plus 30 min or overnight for marinade
This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.
© 2010 Iya Alva
