Chicken Adobo

I have made chicken adobo a few times before using a recipe that called for a lot of soy sauce. I thought the chicken was all right but I wasn't in a rush to make it again. Then I found a recipe in Saveur magazine for adobo that sounded easy to make and good to eat. I was excited to try this dish and use up some more of my "sale" chicken thighs.

Chicken Adobo

4 chicken thighs (about 1 lb)
4 chicken legs (about 1 lb)  I used 8 chicken thighs so feel free to use what you have on hand.
Kosher salt, to taste
14 cloves garlic, slivered
1 2/3 cups coconut, palm, or white wine vinegar (I used white wine vinegar)
2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
10 bay leaves
Cooked brown rice

Sprinkle your chicken pieces generously with salt and place in a 14" nonstick pan. Add the chopped garlic to pan along with the vinegar, peppercorns and bay leaves. Try to submerge the garlic, peppercorns and bay leaves in the liquid. Bring to a boil over high heat; stir then lower the heat and simmer, basting chicken occasionally with liquid until meat is cooked through and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 40 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium-high. Continue to cook the chicken, turning it frequently, until crisp and lightly browned all over, 6-8 minutes.  Serve over rice
Serves 4

14 cloves of garlic.

Chicken cooking in the pan.

The last 6-8 minutes of cooking.

My husband and I enjoyed this dish. When I saw all the powerful aromatic ingredients in this recipe I was a little afraid the chicken would be too pungent. The house definitely smelled like vinegar while the chicken was cooking, but the chicken turned out moist and only lightly flavored.  I have to be honest with you and tell you this was not a hit with my kids. I don't think either of them are vinegar lovers, they ate the chicken but reluctantly. I hope you give it a try and see how you and your family like it. Let me know how it turns out, I like hearing about which recipes are hits and which are misses.

Till tomorrow...