The Adobo Craving That I Succumbed To

Have you ever succumbed to a food craving so strongly that you ended up cooking it just so you could satisfy your craving?

That happened to me last Thursday.

Chicken Adobo was a dish I was introduced to by a dear friend about 4-5 years ago, but one that I have not cooked nor tasted for a long while, but when I read about it again in her blog, I was tempted all over again.

There was a small problem though.  I did not have balsamic vinegar and bay leaves at my disposal, but since I was determined to savor the yumminess that was the adobo, I decided to get a bottle of balsamic vinegar (less than $3) and some bay leaves pronto, and there I was, happily creating deliciousness all over again.

Chicken Adobo is a dish which is very popular in the Philippines.  It has a sourish taste to it,   yet not overpoweringly strong.  The flavors are all married together in a balanced fashion, making it a perfect complement to steamed rice.  Hannah and I loved it, but the boys were not overly excited.  Anyhow, if you have not tried this dish, you should!  It’s simple to cook, it’s not time consuming and (to me, at least) it’s certainly delicious!

My recipe is tweaked from my friend’s recipe, but it tastes good nonetheless!

Chicken Adobo

Ingredients:

½ – 1 pound of chicken meat, cubed
1 medium-sized brown/yellow onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon black peppercorn (I used a dash of white pepper in place of this)
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar
5 bay leaves
4 tablespoons of water
1 tsp. soy sauce
Sugar to taste

Directions:

1. Wash chicken meat thoroughly.
2. In a large bowl or pot, combine all ingredients. Mix well. Cover.  Let sit in the fridge for an hour or more.
3. Cook on medium high heat  for 20  minutes. Simmer for another 25 minutes or until meat is no longer pink. There is no need to add additional water despite the fact that it may look a tad dry.  The juices from the chicken and the marinade will create a flavorful gravy.
4. Discard bay leaves. Serve hot over warm steamed rice.