Chicken Adobo

Barenaked Chef's Note:

I originally found this recipe on Epinions from one of my favorite writers there, KCFoxy. It is delicious.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 30 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 8 chicken thighs
• 1 quart water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups water
• ¾ cup cider vinegar
• ¼-½ cup soy sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon fresh coarse ground black pepper
• 8 cloves garlic , peeled and sliced thin
• ¼ cup vegetable oil

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl combine thawed chicken, water and salt.
2. Allow chicken to soak several minutes while preparing the other ingredients.
3. Just before adding to frying pan, drain on paper towels.
4. In a medium saucepan combine water, vinegar, soy sauce, bay leaves and pepper.
5. Heat on medium low setting, covered, about 15 minutes.
6. In a 12" skillet or chicken fryer combine oil and sliced garlic over medium low heat.
7. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
8. Drain chicken pieces and add, skin side down, to garlic oil, increasing heat to medium high.
9. Cook 5 minutes per side.
10. Reduce heat to simmer and pour vinegar-soy mixture over chicken.
11. If finishing adobo in skillet, partially cover pan and continue cooking, turning occasionally for 30-40 minutes, or until sauce is reduced by half.
12. Alternate Slow Cooking Method: After browning chicken, place in 3 or 4 quart slow cooker, on low setting.
13. Pour vinegar-soy mixture over top, and cook 2 hours, covered.
14. Remove cover, increase setting to high and finish cooking an additional 1 hour.
15. Variations May substitute 1 1/2 pounds either cubed pork or beef for the chicken.
16. Brown 1" cubes on all sides a total of 5 minutes, then proceed as above.
17. Stew meat works well here.
18. May use one, (1 to 1 1/2 pound), package boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts in place of the regular chicken thighs.
19. May replace one cup of water in the vinegar-soy mix with same amount of coconut milk.
20. Proceed as above.
21. *Discard bay leaves before serving.

Reviews

[Chef #289483]

Try using Datu Puti vinegar available in most asian groceries instead of cider vinegar..it has a milder flavor.

[devnzac]

I made this using the crockpot version... Turned out very good. I think I would use regular vinegar next time though... not as sweet. And a touch more soy sauce.

[Kethrae]

The family liked this alot. It would be great served over rice, but DH and I recently jumped on the low carb bandwagon, and so we served it over mock mashed potatoes, with a salad. Dinner rolls wouold have been great, too, so sop up all that juice. Anyways...I recommend pulling the chicken off the bone before serving or it makes a big mess when trying to eat. Nothing disgusts me more than taking a bite and finding a fine chicken bone. Do that, and enjoy.