This month, the Kulinarya Cooking Club decided to feature Adobo! To many, this is considered our national dish. Ask any Filipino and they will tell you that they have the “best” adobo recipe. It’s no wonder that there are so many variations of this dish. But I tell you – I think I have discovered THE BEST EVER recipe for chicken adobo. (I can already see many Filipinos raising their hands in protest!). But I stand by my statement!
Traditionally, in our home we simmer a combination of pork and chicken in a marinade of soy sauce, vinegar, bay leaves, black peppers and garlic. Once done, the meat is removed from the sauce and pan fried separately while the sauce is simmered further to obtain a rich and thicker sauce. Before serving, the meat is once again reunited with the thickened sauce. Many filipinos will insist that adobo be served with a bowl of rice (either garlic fried or steamed) but other than that, “the day after adobo” is excellent as a sandwich filling (in our house we usually lather it with tons of mayonnaise).
I wanted to try something different with the adobo this month so I experimented with David Chang’s Fried Chicken with Octo-vin recipe. I’ve had a lot of success with the Momofuku cookbook – the Chicken and Egg recipe can be found here and the Fried Chicken with the Octo-Vin has been previously featured in Almost Bourdain’s site here.
Reading through the recipe for the Fried Chicken, I thought it would be an interesting twist to use David Chang’s technique for his fried chicken. First he brines the chicken for several hours, then steams it, lets in dry in the refrigerator and finally pan fries the chicken. It is then served with a sauce he refers to as Octo-Vin.
So for my version, I pretty much stuck to the Momofuku tecnique but my brine solution was the adobo marinade. I also changed the octo-vin by cooking it in a saucepan and adapted the ingredients so that the adobo flavours came out. To be completely honest I was a bit hesitant to use Philippine white vinegar instead of the rice wine vinegar in the original recipe but I was amazed at the resulting sauce – very intense and the flavours blended beautifully. I like to call it the Pinoy Octo-Vin. Yes there is a lot of work to this recipe but I promise you – the results are worth it.
Recipe for the Fried Chicken (serves 4)
- 6 chicken thigh cutlets (I deboned mine)
- 4 cups lukewarm water
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar (Philippine brand preferably)
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 bay leaves
- a few peppercorns, left whole
- Canola or grapeseed oil for frying
- Combine the water, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, bay leaves and peppercorns in a container and stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the chicken and cover. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and no more than 6 hours.
- Set up a steamer on the stove. Drain the chicken and place the brine on the bottom of the steamer (this is your steaming liquid). Put the chicken in the steamer basket and cover. Steam the chicken for 40 minutes on medium high heat. When done, remove it from the steamer and put in on a cooling rack to cool. Chill it in the refrigerator on the rack at least 2 hours (or overnight).
- Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 3o minutes before you cook it.
- In a deep skillet, heat enough oil for the chicken (I only pan fried the chicken). Fry the chicken in batches until the skin is deep brown and crisp. Around 6 to 8 minutes.
- Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
For the Octo-Vinaigrette
- 2 garlic cloves, (I used confit garlic cloves but plain garlic will suffice)
- 2 tablespoons coconut milk
- 1/4 cup light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar (Philippine brand is preferable)
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 to 6 peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon white sugar
- 2 tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil
Mix all ingredients in a saucepan and heat over low for 10 minutes. Serve on top of the Fried Chicken.
Kulinarya was started by a group of Filipino foodies living in Sydney, who are passionate about the Filipino culture and its colourful cuisine.
Each month we will showcase a new dish along with their family recipes. By sharing these recipes, we hope you find the same passion and love
for Filipino Food as we do.
If you’re interested in joining our Kulinarya Cooking Club, please feel free to drop by our foodblogs and leave a comment – we would love to
hear from you!
Welcome new Kulinarya Members (if I have missed anyone out PLEASE email me!)
Olive http://www.latestrecipes.net/
Caroline http://whenadobometfeijoada.blogspot.com/
Peachy http://www.thepeachkitchen.com/
Althea http://www.busogsarap.com/
Hi, I found your weblog on my net listing, i have to say your blog appears excellent! Have a nice day!!
This is something that “adobo fanatic” should try, (I’m one of them 🙂 With so many varity of adobo in the Philippines, your version is pretty interesting and based on your stunning picture above, it sure looks delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
This is one of the best styles of adobo I’ve ecer taste. Is a great recipe…yummy yummy in my tummy!
I really love Filipino foods specially your adobo. I miss these recipes back home in the Philippines. thanks a lot for sharing!
[…] Trissalicious Chicken Adobo “Momofuku Style” […]
Hi Trissa!
This looks really yummy!
I’m compiling a list of all the different ways to cook adobo in a quest to find what a true filipino adobo is today, and I’m happy to include your adobo recipe in my article at http://kumain.com/1001-adobo-recipes/. I hope you don’t mind the link from my site to yours =)
Keep in touch!
THAT LOOKS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!! I’ve never heard of this style of Adobo and being half Filipino, this appeals tremendously to my taste buds. I’ll be sure to share this with my mom and aunt!
ADOBO!!! i eat so much filo food sometimes I think im Filipino. This chicken adobo momofuku style looks soo good.. Looks like something out of a japanese restaurant!
The photographs of this adobo are insanely gorgeous!! Your take on adobo is truly amazing and skillful – I would love to try this. And reading through your comments, it looks as if it’s Mom-approved! 😎
Oh looks delicious and what’s not to love about fried chicken! 🙂
Looks fantastic!! My boy loves anything chicken, so I think I shall have to try and make this for him!
i love the twist that you put in this adobo recipe… great job ladies for doing your part to promote filiipino food… i would love to join kulilnarya if i may?
Oh I love adobo. Can’t believe how fantasticly delicious yours looks.
Love adobo chicken very much. Your variation involves lots of preparation, yet it’s worth it. I like those dishes of intensive taste and thick sauce.
I have not tried adobo chicken but this dish makes me want to try cooking it. It looks so good. It reminds me of roasted chicken rice back home though it’s completely different.
Yum, what a great idea. The chicken sounds so succulent. I’m curious about Filipino vinegar too.
Very clever twist! I’m drooling over this, and drooling over the thought of next day sandwiches. Drool drool central..
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Remil Mangali, Filipino Food, Daphne Domingo, creeniegirl, stilettolife and others. stilettolife said: RT @filipinofood Recipe from @Trissalicious Chicken Adobo – Momofuku Style http://bit.ly/4tWo8c <— Oooh yum I have to try this for dinner. […]
You’ve elevated Chicken adobo to a higher level. This could be the best looking and tasting (I assume) adobo I’ve ever seen.
Your chicken adobo looks totally gorgeous! Your photos are beautiful and made me crave for a bowl right now =)
Dibs on the chicken skin! it’s so caramelly gorgeous! ;p
Still drooling…
This looks simply wonderful, you’ve done a beautiful job with this. I’d love to try some!
*kisses* HH
I have only eaten Adobo once… and I remember it was delicious. Yours look really amazing too… by the way, I will be making my first trip to the Philippinnes next week. Any good food I should not miss? … and may I add, your photos are getting really professional looking!
trissa, i love how you produced your adobo…blending all new techniques and producing a unique adobo dish with the essential ingredients included, thanks for sharing and love those pics…
It sure looks like a lot of work but I am sure it is very good. Am already sold just by looking at the pictures. Just look at that Octo-Vinaigrette….oh my…
Mmm I think I’ll believe you when you say it’s the best ever, it looks amazing! And that vinaigrette looks like it would just be bursting with flavour!
This looks sooooooooooo good – makes me hungry even though I’ve just had brekky!
YUmm!! Love the look of the octo-vinaigrette!! Btw does the “Momofuku” refer to speak style of cooking or the Momofuku restaurant ??
Btw, would love to join the Filipino club. Will discuss with you … Look foward to learning another cuisine!!! :))
That looks so good Trissa! And I got to say that I love these photos! Just gorgeous… Did you use the lowel’s or is this daylight shot?
What a pity, the monster was no longer there to try it…. It looks delish with steamed rice.
The crispy coating on the chicken is incredible, your adaption of the recipe was obviously a raging success. I’m learning quite a bit about Filipino cooking from your Kulinarya club – keep it up!
omg I read so much about the famed adobo, now you’ve given us recipe, I can actually make it at home =D can’t wait!!
This looks and sounds so delicious. Besides having delicious fried chicken adding that vinaigrette (especially as it has coconut in it) makes it heavenly.
OMG! This is probably the best chicken adobo I have ever seen!
Trissa I think your Momofuku Style of Adobo is great. Its good to step out of the square. Now I want to try your version. What did the Blog Monster think of your version?
That chicken looks great Trissa, what a great twist to the Momofuku recipe. I’ve only tried adobo once 9at a restaurabt) but I really likedd it, especially the vinegar flavour. Is the vinegar used in adobo different to the white vinegar in the shops?
Your version looks amazing, Trissa. I guess the taste of the adobo doesn’t come from the adobo itself but from those who eat it.They cook it based on how they like their adobo to taste like.
Genius! The chicken looks amazing. I saw momofuku’s recipe and can’t wait to try the technique!
this is so trissalicious!!!
I’m sold. If I make Adobo, I will come right here to your blog. Just look at that! Popping right out of my screen! Fantastic, Trissa!
It looks so good! I have yet to try a really good Adobo. I guess now I can make it and hope it is as good as yours.
Wooohooo what a gorgeous shot of the chicken adobo – all that brown, caramelised goodness! Thanks for an amazing KCC adobo post and hmmm no matter what the version is as long as the usual suspects – soy sauce & vinegar – are present. Oh and btw Triss it’s http://sugarlace.com I should’ve changed it earlier for everyone sorry my fault!!!!!
Isn’t it great to experiment and change things around? Love this Trissa!
Nice twist to the classic Adobo! Love the deep crispy brown skin of the chicken you get from using momofuku technique!
oh yum and it looks healthy!!!
Wow this looks fab Trissa. I have way too many cookbooks but you and Ellie are starting to make me feel like I need one more…
Is Filipino white vinegar much different than regular white vinegar?