Chicken Adobo

I dislike it when I hear people say that they cannot cook. Cooking can be easy and fun. If you don't have the knack for the "this and that" method of cooking, I hope that my blog has helped you gain confidence and do the whole sample on the spoon with a long contemplative thought about what you'd like to taste, ritual. If you claim you cannot cook however, I dare you to find amazing recipes to try and follow them exactly (ALWAYS TASTING ALONG THE WAY!!).. Then tell me you can't cook.

I challenged Dave to do this. I was gravely ill with a nasty head cold, unable to barely cook myself a fricasse like normal. Dave took a new approach to cooking a stewed chicken with a great New York Times recipe:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/09/magazine/09Food-t-001.html

with a side of brown rice and steamed brocolli, this was an amazing meal.. especially for the patient with a head cold:

Shopping List:

• 1 cup coconut milk
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 1½ cup rice vinegar
• 12 garlic cloves, peeled
• 3 whole bird’s-eye chilies or other fiery chili
• 3 bay leaves
• 1½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 3 to 4 pounds chicken thighs.

Putting it Together:

1. Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a large, nonreactive bowl or resealable plastic freezer bag. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Refrigerate overnight or for at least 2 hours.
2. Place chicken and marinade in a large lidded pot or Dutch oven over high heat and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and tender, around 30 minutes.
3. Heat broiler. Transfer chicken pieces to a large bowl, raise heat under the pot to medium-high, and reduce the sauce until it achieves almost the consistency of cream, about 10 minutes. Remove bay leaves and chilies.
4. Place chicken pieces on a roasting pan and place under broiler for 5 to 7 minutes, until they begin to caramelize. Remove, turn chicken, baste with sauce and repeat, 3 to 5 minutes more. Return chicken to sauce and cook for a few minutes more, then place on a platter and drizzle heavily with sauce.

Notes:

- I wouldn't put it under the broiler as long next time, we did what the recipe recommended but it ended up drying out the top layer. In step #4 I would baste it as I put it in the broiler and only leave it in there for 3-4 mintues, 5 minutes MAX!!