mama's chicken adobo

chicken adobo is a simple one-pot dish of chicken, vinegar, water, soy sauce, black peppercorns, garlic and bay leaves. every filipino family has their own recipe, some using more soy sauce or less vinegar or adding onions, but all use the same basic ingredients.

 

i am ashamed to say that this is the first time that i have ever made this. it has always been a dish that my mom makes, without measuring, purely by feel. and usually, it was already simmering on the stove top, or finished by the time i arrived in the kitchen.

as soon as this started simmering away on the stove, the aroma of vinegar, garlic and soy sauce hit me hard in my amygdala. i was instantly transported back to my childhood home in the country, mom standing at the stove stirring the adobo, a worn kitchen towel tossed over one shoulder. me, standing impatiently on the brown shag carpet, waiting impatiently for it to be dinner time.

i took the recipe from my mom and just made a couple of small additions- i added a few sprigs of thyme and added 2 extra cloves of garlic.

mom always serves it on some fluffy white rice to soak up all that glorious sauce, but i cooked up a batch of local brown rice to soak up all that goodness.

mama's chicken adobo

makes 6 servings

4 chicken legs, 4 chicken thighs

5 cloves garlic, smashed

1 cup water

1 cup white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1 cup low sodium soy sauce

1 tsp whole black peppercorns

2-3 bay leaves

3 sprigs thyme

put all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a simmer over med/med high heat. cover, lower to med-low and cook at a simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is tender and pulling away from the bone. taste and season with salt and pepper as desired. serve atop a warm pile of rice and enjoy.

this would be a great recipe to double and then freeze half.