Sarah ([info]ophy) wrote in [info]food_porn,
@ 2007-02-03 12:34:00
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Chicken Adobo
A little while ago there was a post about Chicken Adobo that really got me thinking. I link-surfed the wealth of info on that site, and got a little confused. There's so many different types and styles of Chicken Adobo (... how is PORK an ingredient in CHICKEN Adobo?)

So, I'm asking for your thoughts and advice. This is the recipe I'm planning on using (or at least starting with)

Simple Chicken Adobo

4-5 lbs. chicken thighs
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon black peppercorns or freshly ground black pepper
3 bay leaves

Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Cover and marinate chicken for 1-3 hours. Bring to boil, then lower heat. Cover and let simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and simmer until sauce is reduced and thickened, and chicken is tender, about 20 more minutes. Serve with steamed rice.

Serves 6-8



So, thoughts? The picture that accompanied the recipe looked like the chicken had been browned or something. (Maybe that was just the effects of the marinade?) I'm assuming I should remove the skin of the chicken thighs, right?

What about the type of vinegar? So many options were listed in all the other recipes I've seen. I think I'm gonna go with a mix of apple cider and rice wine vinegar. Any reasons I shouldn't use those?

Thanks in advance for your assistance. My hubby has never had Adobo and I want to make it yummy for him!

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[info]littlefrazz
2007-02-03 09:23 pm UTC (link)
I've always had adobo still in the marinade, with a generous amount of the marinade used as a sauce...really, like a mixture between a sauce and a stew or something. then again, my mom isn't really a "foodie." she did learn it from someone from the phillipines (her dad). I always assumed that people who just drained off the marinade when they were cooking the chicken were "Americanizing" the recipe, as i've only seen it done that way on cooking shows featuring American cooks. I saw Sarah Moulton do it that way, and then she served it over rice noodles which, although it sounded good, was nothing like I've ever had before. I guess my mom took the skin off of the chicken; since she didn't brown the chicken as much as "boil" it (for lack of a more appropriate term" the skin would not have gotten crispy, but would have been awfully soggy. When I make it, the chicken looks like boiled chicken does, but browner because it has been boiled in such a dark mixture. Vinegar-- my mom just uses something sweeter than regular vinegar (again, she's not a foodie, so it was probably cider vinegar or red wine, just because those are fairly versatile and were in her pantry). I think the combo you chose will be perfect.

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[info]glendaplatypus
2007-02-03 09:37 pm UTC (link)
Adobo's a staple at our house and I can cook it with my eyes closed. White vinegar is best. No reason not to use apple and rice wine vinegar, but traditionally, Filipinos use just plain white vinegar or cane vinegar.

Leave the skin on the chicken thighs. Removing them will affect the consistency of your adobo sauce. The sauce will not thicken if the skin is taken off.

Don't worry too much about doing it wrong or browning the chicken. It's tough to mess up adobo. Do what the directions say and just toss everything in the pan at once. Simmer it until it's reduced a lot and the oil from the skin has thickened the sauce.

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[info]glendaplatypus
2007-02-03 09:45 pm UTC (link)
P.S.
Pork is sometimes combined with the chicken for variety. It shouldn't be called chicken adobo anymore though. Haha.

I like adding quartered potatoes into the pot. The soy sauce and the vinegar makes it really tasty.

Also, if you can find "Silver Swan Soy Sauce" at the Asian section of your Superstore, that's best to use with Adobo. The Chinese/Vietnamese (Lee Kum Kee or Kikkoman) soy sauce has a certain sourness/aroma that makes the adobo taste a little... less Filipino.

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[info]sionainn
2007-02-04 11:36 am UTC (link)
White vinegar is best. No reason not to use apple and rice wine vinegar, but traditionally, Filipinos use just plain white vinegar or cane vinegar.

Interesting.... my Filipino ex-boyfriend made his adobo with apple cider vinegar and ONLY apple cider vinegar because it was the ONLY authentic way (according to him). He said it was much less "harsh" than white vinegar.

Maybe it's just a personal preference thing?

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[info]glendaplatypus
2007-02-04 12:21 pm UTC (link)
I don't know how that would be the only authentic way as I don't think apple cider vinegar is even manufactured in the Philippines while cane sugar vinegar and white vinegar are.

Yeah, maybe it's his personal preference.

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[info]isuckatthis
2007-02-03 10:28 pm UTC (link)
my dad cooks the thighs in the sauce, but then finishes them in the broiler. he also adds potatoes, green beans and the small light green avocado-shaped squash and a little pineapple juice to cut the acidity. definitely not traditional, but VERY good.

and we go with white vinegar + kikkoman.

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Adobo: A quick guide to the perplexed...
[info]dcpenguin
2007-02-04 12:18 am UTC (link)
A lot of the brown in your chicken will be coming from the soy sauce. In some variations, sometimes the chicken is pan-fried in oil first, which is a possible source of browning.

Don’t worry -- follow the directions and it'll turn out very tasty. The classic chicken adobo is a very simple dish.

Are you referring to my previous post here?: http://community.livejournal.com/food_porn/3200792.html

Wikipedia just discusses the Filipino cooking style here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adobo. "Chicken Adobo" redirects here, since it's only one type of Filipino adobo of many.

I just left things at "adobo" as an intro. to the very diverse dish. I make no mention of the chicken variety -- other than it was the specific type I cooked at that point in time. The recipe itself/link made no mention of the pork variety.

As an earlier poster noted, adobo can be made with pork -- sometimes in combination with the chicken. At that point it isn't "chicken" adobo anymore... It can be made with chicken, pork... I've seen it in combination with kankong (water spinach) or long green beans... sometimes together... sometimes by themselves. The important to thing to remember about Filipino adobos is "adobo" refers more to the coking style and method. As a result a Filipino "adobo" can be many, many things...

I tend to use white vinegar, since it is traditional for us Filipinos to use. The vinegars you suggest won't hurt the dish, though...

~T~

PS - If it's my post which inspired to give it a try, I'm honored! :-D

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Re: Adobo: A quick guide to the perplexed...
[info]ophy
2007-02-04 12:49 am UTC (link)
Yes, it was your post that got me thinking all those weeks ago!

I've had several kinds of adobo in the past - my reference to pork was one that I found about three hops off your original post where someone mentioned mixing chicken and pork in their adobo.

Likewise, that's where the apple cider/rice wine vinegar combo came from: somewhere about three hops off your post.

I think I'll stick with the plain white vinegar and whatever soy sauce I got at Diho. Your recipe seems so simple - I think I'll just stick with it for my first venture into the land of Adobo.

Thanks for your suggestions and original post!

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Re: Adobo: A quick guide to the perplexed...
[info]dcpenguin
2007-02-04 09:39 pm UTC (link)
Heehee..

So much adobo... so little time ;) Definitely let me know how it goes!

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