Although Filipino food is considered to be a melting pot of various
cuisines from across the globe, they retain a unique place in the culinary
world with their indigenous cooking style and use of native ingredients. The
influence of the varied cuisines has also yielded an array of flavours and textures to
the Filipino culinary experience.
While pork and beef are the common meats used, chicken and sea foods
also find a place in Filipino cooking. Chicken abodo has gained popularity all over the
world and is often considered to be a signature dish of the Philippine
cuisine.
This humble dish calls for minimum ingredients and time in your kitchen.
The chicken is stewed in a mixture of vinegar and soy sauce that is seasoned with
garlic, ginger, peppercorns and bay leaves. Get prepared to make the delicious chicken
abodo in authentic Filipino-style.
Filipino Chicken Abodo
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Marinating time: 3 hours
Cooking time: 50 minutes
No. of serving: 4
Ingredients Required
1 kg chicken thighs
4 tbsp cane vinegar
8 tbsp soy sauce
½ tsp pepper corns
6 fresh bay leaves
6 garlic cloves
1 inch fresh ginger root
¼ cup vegetable oil
Method
1. Crush the garlic cloves and mice the ginger root. In
a large bowl, combine soy sauce, crushed garlic cloves and ginger root together. Coat
the chicken pieces in the marinade, cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 3 hours
and overnight. The longer the chicken is marinated, the more flavourful it will
become.
2. Next place a sauce pan over medium heat and add
vegetable oil to it. When the oil becomes hot, add the marinated chicken, a
few pieces at a time, to the pan. Reserve the marinade for later use. To ensure even
cooking, never overcrowd the pan with chicken. Roast the chicken pieces for 2-3
minutes.
3. Flip the chicken thighs to the other side and cook for
another 2 minutes. When all the sides turn golden brown in colour, remove
the chicken from the pan and place it aside for later use. Pour the reserved marinade
containing soy sauce, crushed garlic and ginger to the pan.
4. Add a cup of water to the pan and bring it to a rolling
boil. To enhance the richness of the dish, you can add chicken broth in the
place of water. Next add bay leaves and whole pepper corns to the pan. You can add an
additional cup of water, if necessary.
5. Return the roasted chicken to the pan and combine
well. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer the contents of the
pan for 30 minutes. When the chicken turns tender, add 4 tablespoons of
vinegar to the pan and combine well using a spatula.
6. If you add the vinegar along with the marinade, it will
coagulate the meat proteins and yield tough and dry chicken pieces. It is,
therefore, prudent to add vinegar or any other acid at the end of the cooking process to
obtain a tender and juicy meat.
7. Adjust the seasoning and cook the chicken for another 10
minutes until the sauce thickens. You can add a tablespoon or two of arrow
root flour to thicken the sauce. Remove the chicken pieces from the pan and arrange them
on a serving platter. Discard the bay leaves and pour the marinade over
the chicken. Serve the chicken adobo over a bed of steamed rice.