Chicken Adobo Cooks Illustrated Recipes

FAMOUS CHICKEN ADOBO

Steps:

• Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken pieces until golden brown on both sides, then remove. Stir in the onion and garlic; cook until they soften and brown, about 6 minutes.
• Pour in vinegar and soy sauce, and season with garlic powder, black pepper, and bay leaf. Add the browned chicken, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the chicken is tender and cooked through, 35 to 40 minutes.

COCONUT MILK CHICKEN ADOBO

Steps:

• In a large pot, heat the coconut oil over medium-high until shimmering. Add the garlic, whole peppercorns, freshly ground pepper and red-pepper flakes, drop the temperature to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is toasted and softened and mixture is fragrant, about 5 minutes.
• Add the chicken, skin-side down, and cook over medium-high, undisturbed, until fat starts to render, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the coconut milk, coconut vinegar, soy sauce, bay leaves and 1 cup water, and let the mixture come to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the chicken feels loosened and just about falling off the bone, stirring halfway through, about 1 hour.
• Increase the temperature to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened to a velvety gravy, about 15 minutes. Serve chicken and sauce over rice.

CHICKEN ADOBO (COOK'S ILLUSTRATED)

Steps:

• Toss the chicken with the soy sauce in a large bowl. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
• Remove chicken from the soy sauce allowing excess to drip back into the bowl. Transfer the chicken, skin-side down, to a 12 inch non-stick skillet; set aside the soy sauce.
• Place the skillet over medium-high heat and cook until the chicken skin is browned 7 to 10 minutes.
• While the chicken is browning, whisk coconut milk, vinegar, garlic, bay leaves and pepper into the soy sauce. (I chopped the garlic).
• Transfer the chicken to a plate and discard the fat in the skillet. Return the chicken to the skillet skin-side down, add the coconut milk mixture, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Flip chicken skin side up and continue to cook, uncovered, until chicken is done, about 15 minutes (175 deg F internal temp).
• Transfer chicken to platter and tent loosely with aluminum foil.
• Remove bay leaves and skim any fat off surface of sauce. Return skillet to medium-high heat and cook until sauce is thickened, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Pour sauce over chicken, sprinkle with scallion and serve.
• Note: I made half the recipe and found that the sauce reduced very quickly. I covered the skillet after turning the chicken, but still had very little sauce left - more fat. I will try stirring in some cream to make more sauce, but did not do so this time - the chicken was very moist and flavorful. In any event, if you do make just half the recipe, keep your eye on it!