Chicken Adobo
Inspired by techniques from Serious Eats and NYT Cooking.
Chicken is browned, then gently braised in a tangy soy and vinegar sauce until tender, before the sauce is reduced to a dark, glossy glaze.
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Method
- 1
Brown the chicken. Pat the chicken dry, then heat the oil in the pan over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken skin-side down for 8-10 minutes until deep golden and the fat has rendered out, then turn and cook for a further 2 minutes before lifting it out. Starting skin-side down gives the fat time to melt and the skin time to crisp, rather than steaming in its own moisture.
- 2
Fry the aromatics. Once most of the fat is poured off, leaving about a tablespoon in the pan, add the garlic, peppercorns and bay leaves over medium heat. Cook for 1 minute, just until fragrant, taking care not to let the garlic catch and turn bitter.
- 3
Boil the sauce base. Pour in the soy sauce, vinegar, water and sugar, then bring to a boil and let it bubble for 2 minutes without stirring. This brief hard boil softens vinegar's raw, sharp edge before the chicken goes back in.
- 4
Braise until tender. Return the chicken to the pan skin-side up, cover, and simmer gently for 25-30 minutes until it's tender and the thigh meat reads at least 74°C, ideally closer to 80°C for dark meat. Keep the heat low enough for a lazy simmer, since a hard boil would toughen the meat before it has time to soften.
- 5
Reduce the sauce. With the chicken lifted out onto a tray, boil the sauce uncovered for 5-8 minutes until it has reduced by about half and turned glossy. This concentrates the flavour into a sauce that clings to the chicken rather than pooling thinly around it.
- 6
Crisp the skin (optional). For crisper skin, grill (broiler) the chicken skin-side up for 3-4 minutes until it browns further, keeping a close eye so it doesn't burn under the direct heat.
- 7
Finish and serve. Return the chicken to the reduced sauce to coat, then scatter over the sliced spring onions. Serve with steamed rice - adobo is one of those dishes that tastes even better the next day, once the flavours have had time to settle.
Storage
Store in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat gently on the hob or in the microwave until piping hot and the chicken reaches 74°C throughout. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Equipment
- large heavy casserole or deep lidded frying pan (28 cm)
- tongs
- instant-read thermometer
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 498 kcal |
| Protein | 34.1 g |
| Carbohydrate | 7.5 g |
| of which sugars | 3.2 g |
| of which free sugars | 2.9 g |
| Fat | 35.9 g |
| of which saturates | 9.1 g |
| Fibre | 0.7 g |
| Salt | 2.47 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
6.8 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
