Chicken Adobo

 

by Angelina Ocampo Santos

Chicken Adobo is a very simple dish to cook that most Pilipinos in all walks of life know how to cook it.  Adobo is a Spanish word which means "sauce" or "marinade".  It is cooked in many different ways.  Bicolanos in the  Bicol Region or Bicolandia known for their penchant use of coconut milk,  this ingredient is also added which gives Adobo a rich flavor and a silky texture.  Chili peppers are also used to give it an extra kick.  Brown sugar is also added to give hint of sweetness.But Adobo will never be Adobo if it's missing its two main ingredients:  Vinegar and Soy Sauce.  The concoction of equal parts of vinegar and soy sauce mixed in with the juices of the meat being used and herbs and spices gives this dish its tangy, sour, and salty flavor.  Some Pilipinos eat bananas while eating Adobo to counteract the salty flavor of the soy sauce.

Ingredinets:

• 1 kilo (2.2 lbs) of chicken or pork or both cut into quarters.
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup water*
• 1 large potato cut into cubes*
• 5 gloves garlic - minced
• 1 large onion - chopped
• peppercorn
• laurel (bay leaves)
• 3 tablespoons of cooking oil
• 2 tablespoons of brown sugar (optional) 

Directions:

• Boil chicken with vinegar, soy sauce, peppercorn, and laurel in a dutch pan over medium high heat until chicken is tender.  Set aside.
• In a separate sauce pan, heat 3 tablespoons of cooking oil and fry the potato cubes until they are soft on the sides but not cooked inside.
• Add garlic and onion with the potatoes until the garlic is golden brown.
• Add the chicken, soy sauce and vinegar mixed.
• Reduce the heat to medium and cover.  Let it simmer for 15 minutes.
• Serve with steamed white rice

*Potatoes and water are optional.  If the amount of soy sauce, vinegar, and water is doubled, potatoes will serve as a thickening base.  

Preparation time:  15 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Food for thought:

Translation of Keywords
Tagalog	Kapampangan	Spanish	English
manok	manok	pollo	chicken
patatas	patatas	patatas	potatoes
sibuyas	sibuyas	cebolla	onion
bawang	bawang	ajo	garlic
suka	aslam	vinagre	vinegar
toyo	toyo	salsa de soja	soy sauce
paminta	paminta	pimienta negro	black pepper

Garlic (Allium sativum)

Allium sativum, commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion family Alliaceae. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, and rakkyo. Garlic has been used throughout history for both culinary and medicinal purposes. The garlic plant's bulb is the most commonly used part of the plant. With the exception of the single clove types, the bulb is divided into numerous fleshy sections called cloves. The cloves are used for consumption (raw or cooked), or for medicinal purposes, and have a characteristic pungent, spicy flavor that mellows and sweetens considerably with cooking. The leaves, and flowers (bulbils) on the head (spathe) are also edible, and being milder in flavor than the bulbs,[2] they are most often consumed while immature and still tender. Additionally, the immature flower stalks (scapes) of the hardneck and elephant types are sometimes marketed for uses similar to asparagus in stir-fries. The papery, protective layers of "skin" over various parts of the plant are generally discarded during preparation for most culinary uses, though in Korea immature whole heads are sometimes prepared with the tender skins intact.[5] The root cluster attached to the basal plate of the bulb is the only part not typically considered palatable in any form. The sticky juice within the bulb cloves is used as an adhesive in mending glass and porcelain in China. see more...