Chicken & turkey

Chicken Adobo

Name: Chicken Adobo
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Cuisine: Filipino
Ingredients: 1kg chicken thigh fillets, halved; 1 (150g) onion, thinly sliced; 10 cloves (50g) garlic, crushed; 75ml soy sauce; 120ml cider vinegar; 15g (1 tbsp) light brown sugar; 4 bay leaves; 4g (2 tsp) black peppercorns, lightly crushed; 4 (60g) spring onions, sliced; 10ml rapeseed oil; 250ml water

Chicken thighs braised in soy, cider vinegar and plenty of garlic with bay and black pepper, then reduced to a glossy, tangy sauce.

makes 18 blocks, about 48p each

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Time: 1 hr 10 min15 min prep · 55 min cook
Makes: 18 blocks
Cost per blockPer block: 48p
Calories per blockCalories: 87 kcal
Fibre per blockFibre: 0.4g

Ingredients

Batch size

blocks

1kgchicken thigh fillets, halved
1 (150g)onion, thinly sliced
10 cloves (50g)garlic, crushed
75mlsoy sauce
120mlcider vinegar
15g (1 tbsp)light brown sugar
4bay leaves
4g (2 tsp)black peppercorns, lightly crushed
4 (60g)spring onions, sliced
10mlrapeseed oil
250mlwater

Allergens: Soya, Sulphites. Check the labels on stock cubes, sauces and pastes, as brands vary.

Nutrition

estimated

	1 block	3 blocks
Energy	87 kcal	261 kcal
Protein	11g	33g
Carbs	2.7g	8.1g
Fat	3.6g	10.8g
Fibre	0.4g	1.2g
Salt	0.74g	2.22g

Method

Step 1: Heat the oil in a wide casserole over a medium-high heat and brown the chicken in two batches, lifting it out as it colours. (10 min)
Step 2: Lower the heat and soften the onion in the same pan for 5 minutes, then add the garlic, bay leaves and peppercorns for 1 minute.
Step 3: Pour in the vinegar and let it bubble for 2 minutes without stirring to soften its sharpness, then add the soy, sugar and water.
Step 4: Return the chicken, cover and simmer gently for 25 minutes until tender.
Step 5: Uncover and simmer for 10–15 minutes more, turning the chicken now and then, until the sauce has reduced to a glossy glaze that coats it. Remove the bay leaves.
Step 6: Stir in the spring onions, then cool and freeze in 70g blocks.

Serve it

Steamed jasmine rice with sliced tomato and cucumber · Garlic fried rice and stir-fried greens · A rice bowl with a fried egg on top

Nutrition (estimated)
	kcal	protein	carbs	fat	fibre	salt
Per block	87	11g	2.7g	3.6g	0.4g	0.74g
Per 3 blocks	261	33g	8.1g	10.8g	1.2g	2.22g

Cook’s notes

Filipino cane vinegar is a little milder and sweeter than cider vinegar; use the same amount. White wine vinegar works too.
Pork shoulder, cut into 3cm pieces, works the same way: simmer it covered for 1 hour before reducing.
Watch the pan in the last few minutes, as the sugar and soy can catch once the sauce is thick.

Serve it

Steamed jasmine rice with sliced tomato and cucumber · Garlic fried rice and stir-fried greens · A rice bowl with a fried egg on top.

Freeze, reheat and serve

Freeze: Cool it within two hours, portion it into 70g blocks in a silicone tray, then bag and label them. It keeps for 3 months.
Reheat: Microwave 3 blocks, covered, for 1 minute, stir, then heat for another 1 to 2 minutes until piping hot all the way through. Or warm them in a pan with a splash of water. Never refreeze thawed blocks.
A portion: 3 blocks (210g) make a dinner for one adult: about 261 kcal and 33g protein before rice, bread or potatoes.

Chicken Adobo questions

Why not stir after adding the vinegar?

Filipino cooks leave the vinegar to boil for a minute or two before stirring, which cooks off its harshest edge. Stirring straight away keeps the sauce sharper and more raw-tasting.

Can I use chicken drumsticks or legs?

Bone-in pieces make an even richer sauce. Brown them well, simmer them covered for 40 minutes, then pull the meat off the bones before reducing the sauce so the blocks are boneless.

Can I add coconut milk?

Adobo sa gata adds coconut milk to the braise. Use 200ml in place of the same amount of water; the sauce will be creamier and milder, and less glossy.