Go Inter: Chicken Adobo

"Adobo is one of the first dishes Filipinos learn to cook, as it is simple and requires just a handful of ingredients. In good-tasting adobo, none of the spice flavors dominates but rather the taste is a delicate balance of all the ingredients. As with most dishes, there will be slight variations in the ratios of the ingredients or the cooking process, and the cook's unique touch is impressed upon the final outcome" - Wikipedia

When I was living in Manila, our cook usually cooked either pork or chicken adobo for us. It's quite similar to the Thai's pa lo and tom kem, but adobo is a lil bit more sour because of the vinegar. Adobo is simple to make, but so unique that will surely impressed whoever tastes it.

Recipe from http://www.filipinofoodrecipes.net/adobo.htm

Ingredients:

1 Kg of Chicken Wings (I like the small chicken legs, so that's what I'm using)

1 head garlic, minced

1/2 yellow onion, diced

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 cup vinegar

2 cups of water

1 teaspoon paprika

5 laurel leaves (bay leaves)

4 tablespoons of cooking oil or olive oil

2 tablespoons cornstarch 3 tablespoons water

Directions:

1. In a big sauce pan or wok, sauté garlic and onions on cooking hot 2 tablespoons of oil.
2. Add the chicken to the pan. Add 2 cups of water, 1/4 cup of soy sauce, vinegar, paprika and the bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or when meat is tender.
3. Remove the pork and chicken from the sauce pan and on another pan, heat cooking oil and brown the pork and chicken for a few minutes.
4. Mix the browned pork and chicken back to the sauce and add cornstarch dissolved in water to thicken. Bring to a boil then simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
5. Serve hot with the adobo gravy and plain rice.

Masarap!!!