Filipino Crispy Chicken Adobo

Whenever I come across videos or articles of foreigners trying out Filipino food, Adobo will always be one of the top 5 most tried out food from the Philippines. Mainly because it’s kind of the “national dish”, well it’s not official, but it has always got the attention of people.

Let me give a brief background of this beloved “national dish” of the Philippines.

Filipino Adobo came from the spanish word Adobar, which means “sauce”, “to marinade”, or “seasoning”. Mainly the dish is consisted of any kind of protein marinated in garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, and black peppercorns. The meat is simmered in it’s own marinade until it’s cooked.

Another thing about Adobo is the preparation and ingredients for the dish varies in different regions, and also varies on the tradition of the family making the dish. So there is no actual right and wrong recipe as long as you stick to the template which is protein marinated in garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, and black peppercorns.

So if you want to try your take on Filipino Adobo, go ahead just go with the template and add your own twist to it. Like what I did to this Crispy Chicken Adobo.

Crispy Chicken Adobo Recipe

Serving: 2

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken thighs + legs
• 2 cups of chicken broth
• 1 cup of soy sauce
• 1 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar (you may use white vinegar)
• 3 -4 tbsp of brown sugar
• 4-5 cloves of garlic
• 2 star anise
• 2 bay leaves
• Pinch of black peppercorns
• 1-2 tbsp of tapioca starch (you may use corn starch)
• 4 tbsp of water

Procedure:

Part 1: Chicken Prep

Rub the chicken with salt and rinse with running water.

In a pot, add the chicken broth, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, black peppercorns, star anise, and bay leaves. Let it boil.

Add the chicken in the pot and adjust heat to medium. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Once done, get the chicken from the broth, pat the skin with a kitchen towel to get rid of excess water from the skin.

Place the chicken in the fridge for the skim to dry a little bit more. Don’t put a lid on the container.

Part 2: The Sauce

Using the same broth where you boiled you chicken, fish out the garlic, bay leaves, and star anise.

Let the broth simmer again.

While waiting for the broth to simmer, In a bowl, add the tapioca starch and water and stir until the starch is completely dissolved.

Add the starch mixture in the broth and stir until the consistency is thicker. You’ll know when it’s ready if the sauce covers your spoon and it’s not runny.

Part 3: Fry up that chicken!

Get your chicken from the fridge and pat it again with a kitchen towel to get rid of excess moisture in the skin

Heat up the oil to 165 degree celsius, then drop the chicken in the oil.

Fry until the skin is crispy enough to your liking.

Serve with rice and the sauce.

Enjoy!

–Halle

Creamy Hot Chocolate Recipe

Nothing beats a hot beverage whenever it’s gloomy outside. There is always something very much soothing when you drink something hot specially on a rainy day. It might be because we are reminded of our childhood, sipping a cup of those homemade hot chocolate drink made by our moms or even making our own, even those instant ones. There is always a comforting side in sipping a simple cup of hot chocolate.

In the past years, I’ve always gone to instant hot chocolate drinks, those powdered ones which you only need to add hot water, and there you have your instant hot chocolate. But, while I’m coming of age, I’ve always wanted to have my own version of that favorite childhood drink which I want to make for my future kids. That’s why I made this recipe to share to my future kids, so they could remember their moms hot chocolate, and also to share with my friends and family.

A simple and easy to follow recipe for the creamiest hot chocolate.

Creamiest Hot Chocolate Recipe

Serving: 2 cups

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup of organic cocoa powder (you may use any cocoa powder you have)
• 2 – 3 cups of milk (I used a non-fat one)
• 1/3 cup of vegan cream (you may use half and half or all purpose cream)
• 4 tbsp of sugar
• 1/3 cup water

• Procedure:

In a sauce pan, add all ingredients and combine

Heat the pan, until you see steam coming out. Simmer for 3-5 mins

Serve and enjoy.

Hope you enjoy your rainy day with this creamy hot chocolate!

Cheers!

Halle