Chicken Adobo

May 26, 2007

Excerpted from Memories of Philippine Kitchens by Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2006). Copyright 2006 by Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan.

Serves 4 to 6

This is the recipe we use at the restaurant. The coconut milk helps keep the chicken moist and it makes a rich sauce. We serve this with Mushroom and Bamboo Shoot Rice (recipe follows) and sautéed mustard greens or bok choy. There are countless variations of chicken adobo; Mary "Inday" Gancayco serves a memorable mixture of chicken and pork adobo coated with mashed chicken livers and topped with fried garlic.

Marinade:

• 1 1/2 cups rice vinegar
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 12 garlic cloves, peeled
• 3 bay leaves
• 3 whole birdseye chiles
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• One 3 1/2-pound whole chicken, quartered and cut into pieces

In a large nonreactive bowl or heavy-duty, resealable plastic bag, combine all of the marinade ingredients. Add the chicken pieces and turn to coat in the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

In a large casserole or Dutch oven, heat the chicken and marinade over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally to make sure the chicken is covered in the marinade, until the chicken is cooked through and tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Transfer the chicken pieces to a large bowl, raise the heat to medium-high, and reduce the sauce until it is the consistency of heavy cream, about 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and chiles. Return the chicken to the sauce and cook until just warmed through.

Excerpted from Memories of Philippine Kitchens by Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2006). Copyright 2006 by Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan.

Serves 6

Other wild mushrooms, alone or in combination, used in place of the shiitakes. I serve this with Chicken Adobo.

• 3 cups jasmine rice
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 small carrot, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, cleaned, and thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup canned bamboo shoots, rinsed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 4 1/2 cups chicken stock or water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Rinse the rice well and drain. Pour the oil into a saucepan and add the onion and carrot. Cook over high heat, stirring often, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes; add the garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and turmeric. Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms start to give off liquid, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the rice and chicken stock or water. Add the pepper and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the liquid has been absorbed, about 15 minutes.

Take the pan off the heat and stir lightly to fluff. Cover again and let stand for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed before serving.