Filipino Chicken Adobo

This is another Filipino dish I remember seeing at family gatherings, courtesy of some awesome Filipino relatives who married into our family. Not their recipe, as they don't measure, they eye-ball everything during cooking. But still a very good one from a non-related Filipino friend of mine.

The 5 most basic ingredients of Chicken Adobo (aside from the oil) are usually chicken, garlic, pepper, bay leaf, and soy sauce. This recipe adds a bit of sugar and some onions, for a sweet/savory taste, which is also common. But I have heard of people using other sweeteners such as fruit juice or even honey. And some use no sweeteners at all. It really is a very simple and basic dish though. Easy to cook and delicious!  

Traditionally, it is served with steamed white rice and fresh tomato slices on the side. 

Filipino Chicken Adobo

Ingredients:
    
1/2 cup vinegar, (optional, you can also use water or broth) 
1/2 cup soy sauce
5 bay leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper (ground or whole)
1 tbsp sugar (brown or white)
2 pounds cut-up chicken parts in serving size portions
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
6 to 8 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
1 medium onion halved and cut into thin slices.

Directions:

1.  Combine vinegar, soy sauce, bay leaves (break them in half to release flavors), black pepper and sugar in a large bowl. Add chicken, stir to coat with marinade. You can cover this marinade in refrigerated it for 1 to 4 hours, or cook it right away, if you wish.
   
2.  Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic.   Cook until onions are just soft, but not brown, stirring frequently.  

3.  Add the chicken and all the marinade juice to the pan.  Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook until chicken is tender, about 45 minutes. Uncover and cook until sauce has reduced slightly, about 10 minutes.  Serve hot with white rice and fresh tomato slices.

Variation:

Some people add a large, chopped potato to the pan while cooking the garlic and onions, then add the chicken and marinade juice over the top to finish cooking.