Philippine adobo is a chicken or pork stew cooked with garlic, soy, vinegar and bay leaf, but there are many variations. It can be wet or dry, sticky or sweet, dark or light. Much as with Irish coddle or stew, each family has their own way of doing it, and it will taste different in each household. In my house we keep it mainly with chicken, wet and dark.
It’s deeply flavourful, and having a warm bowl of this on a cold day makes it our ultimate comfort food.
Vinegar is widely used in Filipino food. It gives it that incredibly tangy and punchy flavour. It’s practical too, as it’s a great form of preservation to protect food from spoilage in the sweltering Filipino heat.
It’s worth seeking out sugar-cane vinegar for this recipe – it has a sweetness and isn’t too acidic. You will find it in most Asian or Middle Eastern shops, but if you’re stuck you could use rice-wine vinegar with a half to one teaspoon of sugar added.
A covered pot of adobo can sit on a table without needing to be put in the fridge. The vinegar stops bacteria from growing, working alongside the fat from the meat, to cure and flavour.
Richie Castillo is a Dublin-based chef running his own pop-up restaurant called Bahay
Richie Castillo’s chicken adobo
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
For the marinade:
275ml white sugarcane vinegar (I use Datu brand, found in all Asian stores)
120ml dark soy sauce
300ml light soy
12 garlic cloves, chopped finely or minced
6 tsps whole black peppercorns
6 bay leaves
1 tbsp brown sugar, to taste (may need more, adjust to taste)
For the meat:
300g skin-on chicken thighs, on the bone
300g skin-on chicken legs, on the bone
450g pork belly, cut into cubes (if you only want chicken, replace this with 450g mix thighs/leg)
2 tbsp vegetable oil for frying
To serve: White steamed rice, finely sliced spring onion, finely sliced fresh red chilli or sliced pickled red chilli
Method
1 First, you need to marinate the meat. I like to make this in a large Tupperware box. Using the measurements above, stir together the vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, peppercorns, sugar and bay leaves until all thoroughly combined.
2 Add the chicken and pork belly (if using) and leave to marinate overnight (or six-plus hours).
3 When you're ready to cook, transfer the chicken, pork to a large heavy-bottomed pot (I use a dutch oven) and brown it. You can do this in batches in a smaller pot if needed.
4 Once the meat is coloured, add the remaining marinade and 300ml water to your same large pot and bring the meat in liquid to a boil. Immediately reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
5 Taste, and if the sauce is too strong add water, if too acidic, add some sugar. If the sauce is too liquid for your taste, let it reduce down to desired consistency.
6 Serve hot, with plenty of white rice and garnish, and don't be afraid of the fat at the bottom, that's where the flavour is.
