Chikn adobo
When you think of adobo, what do you think of? I am brought back to being a child in my parent’s kitchen squealing at the delight of my favorite meal when it was presented at the kitchen table. I would ask my mom to make it for every meal, and on some days, it was even packed into my hamtaro lunch box when I was in elementary school. My lunch would be the hot topic of the table because it was unlike anyone else’s around me. I was surrounded by lunchables, hamburgers, sandwiches, chicken patties, nuggets, and fries. My plate was the most foreign amongst the American school children, and I didn’t mind. I was proud to have it in front of me. I think of adobo being served at family parties, and my mom making it for my friends whenever it was their first time visiting my house. More recently, it is a dish that I cooked for the private school that I work at, which was most of the children and staff’s introduction to Filipino food. I was honored to have shared my culture at my workplace through food, and it was well received.
Adobo is a staple dish in the Philippines, served with rice and is the unofficial national dish of the Philippines. It originated from indigenous food preservation techniques by marinating the protein in vinegar and salt to preserve food in a hot climate. The earliest recipes for adobo were “white adobo” because soy sauce wasn’t introduced to the Philippines until the Chinese traders brought it over in the early 1600’s. The earliest recording of adobo was in 1613 by Pedro de San Buenaventura. The word adobo is derived from the spanish word “adobar” which means to marinate. The English word “adobo” means vinegar braised.”
While adobo is traditionally made with chicken, beef, or pork, I have provided plant based options to choose from. All versions have been a hit amongst my loved ones and coworkers. Try it for yourself and let me know what you think! You’ll want to have this recipe in your back pocket.
Chikn Adobo Recipe
Serves 2
Protein Options: Tofu, Chicken of the Woods or Oyster mushrooms
Tofu:
1 block extra firm tofu
⅓ cup corn starch
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
Frying oil
Directions:
1. Remove extra firm tofu from packaging and dry with paper towel until dry, then tear into bite sized chunks into a bowl
2. In a separate bowl, mix together the cornstarch, salt, and pepper
3. Coat tofu in cornstarch mixture
4. Fry tofu in a pan until it is brown on all sides, about 4-6 minutes
5. Set tofu aside and make adobo sauce
Oyster mushrooms:
3 or 4 oyster mushrooms, bottoms removed
Salt & Pepper
Oil
Directions:
1. Remove the bottoms of the oyster mushrooms and tear off each stem
2. Saute mushrooms and season with salt and pepper until slightly browned, about 3-4 minutes
3. Set mushrooms aside and make adobo sauce
Chicken of the woods mushroom:
1 quarter of chicken of the woods mushroom, cut into bite sized pieces
Pot of water
Salt & Pepper
Oil
Directions:
1. Clean oyster mushroom thoroughly with hot water and cut into bite sized pieces
2. To a boiling pot of water, blanche the mushrooms for a minute and set aside
3. Dry mushrooms by squeezing out excess water and blot with paper towel
4. In a separate pan, fry mushrooms and season with salt and pepper until thoroughly cooked and browned, about 7 minutes
5. Set mushrooms aside and make adobo sauce
Adobo Sauce:
2 tablespoons neutral oil
½ onion, julienned
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup tamari
½ cup palm vinegar or white vinegar
¼ cup brown sugar or white sugar
1 tsp peppercorns or ground black pepper
1-2 bay leaves
Directions:
1. Sauté onion and garlic in a pot with the oil until onions are translucent.
2. Add tamari, vinegar, and sugar and stir until sugar dissolves
3. Bring to a boil, then add protein into pot
4. Let simmer for 10-15 minutes
5. Serve with rice
