on Oct 24th, 2007Chicken adobo
Adobo is both a seasoning — you’ve probably seen it at the market — and a national dish of the Philippines. With the latter, it’s a tangy soy braise of chicken or pork, and like most of my favorite dishes it consists of a few good ingredients, simply prepared. The sum is greater than the parts.
When using chicken, this is usually made with parts and that’s how I’d always had it. One evening in New York, several years ago, a friend invited me for a spur-of-the-moment dinner and this is what she served, bringing a whole, small chicken to the table. I like the presentation but I especially like having a simple, delicious way to take advantage of sales, when young chickens are 69 or 79 cents a pound and sometimes less. Different recipes use various ratios for the liquids in this dish but this one struck my palate as just right and I asked for the recipe on the spot.
The chicken in the pot here was nearly four pounds; if you use one closer to three pounds the bird will likely come apart on its own when you remove it from the pot. In either case, the meat will be fall-off-the-bone tender and succulent. You can, of course, use parts if you wish. This is usually served with or over rice. With something green on the side, I have a satisfying and economical meal.
Chicken Adobo
1 young chicken, 3 -4 pounds, or chicken parts
salt and pepper
1 -2 TB olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 TB red wine vinegar
4 TB reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 bay leaves
rice, to accompany
Season chicken inside and out with salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or pot large enough to hold the chicken. Add garlic and saute 1 -2 minutes, until fragrant.
Add the chicken, breast-side down, (or if using parts, presentation-side down). Combine vinegar and soy sauce; pour over chicken. Add bay leaves to the pot and bring to a simmer.
Cover, simmer for 45 minutes. Turn chicken over and simmer for an additional 45 minutes.
Remove from pot and allow to rest 5 - 10 minutes while you transfer the pan juices to a fat strainer or let stand and skim off the fat. Remove bay leaves.
Serve with rice and defatted juices.
Serves 2-4
This sounds like what a Fillipino student who was billeted with my friend last year fed us at an appreciation dinner. It was delightful.
It probably was this dish. I only wish I could make it look half as good as it tastes, but I’ve come to accept my limitations when photographing protein.
I think you are doing a fine job with the photography. But you are right protein is hard to “capture” beautifully on film.