Filipino Chicken Adobo with Rice

Filipino Chicken Adobo

Makes: 2 servings
Prep: 10 minutes
Cooking: About 35 minutes. Allow extra resting time for the rice in the skillet option.

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, left whole
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves, smashed
• 3 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup cane vinegar or distilled white vinegar
• 1/2 cup water, plus more as needed
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns, lightly cracked
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar, optional

For serving: 1 cup cooked rice, divided between two plates, and a vegetable of your choice.

Directions

1. Pat the chicken dry. Heat the oil in a deep 10 inch stainless steel or enameled skillet over medium high heat. Brown the thighs for about 3 minutes per side. They will finish cooking in the sauce.
2. Lower the heat to medium. Add the garlic around the chicken and stir for 30 seconds, keeping it from burning.
3. Add the soy sauce, vinegar, water, bay leaves and peppercorns. Bring to a simmer. Cover, lower the heat and simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes, turning the chicken halfway through. Check that the thickest part reaches at least 165°F and the meat is tender.
4. Uncover and simmer for another 5 to 8 minutes, until the sauce reduces slightly. If the chicken is ready before the sauce, transfer it to a plate while the sauce reduces, then return it to the pan.
5. Taste before adding salt. For a softer vinegar edge, stir in the optional sugar. If the sauce tastes too strong or salty, add water a tablespoon at a time. Don’t reduce it to a thick salty glaze. Leave enough sauce for the rice.
6. Remove the bay leaves. Divide the chicken between two plates with rice and vegetables, then spoon over the sauce. Push whole peppercorns aside if you prefer.

Cook the rice in the same skillet

For this option, replace the cooked rice with 1/2 cup uncooked long grain white rice, rinsed and drained. Increase the recipe’s water to 3/4 cup. Don’t add both cooked and uncooked rice.

1. Brown the chicken and cook the garlic as directed. Add the soy sauce, vinegar, water, bay leaves and peppercorns, then simmer uncovered for 3 minutes.
2. Lift the chicken onto a plate. Stir the rice into the liquid and nestle the chicken on top. Bring back to a gentle simmer, cover tightly and cook over low heat for about 18 to 25 minutes. Check that the rice is tender and the chicken reaches at least 165°F.
3. If the rice is still firm and the pan is dry, add 2 tablespoons hot water, cover and cook a few minutes longer. Keep checking until the rice is cooked.
4. Turn off the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and fluff the rice around the chicken.

Skip the sauce reduction step when cooking the rice in the pan. The rice absorbs the liquid. This is a convenient variation rather than the usual separate rice serving.