Chicken Adobo (Filipino Soy-Vinegar Chicken)

Ingredients

For 4 portions

• 🍗 800g chicken thigh, with skin (raw, boneless)
• 🥣 100ml soy sauce
• 🥣 100ml white wine vinegar
• 🧄 8 cloves garlic
• 🌿 3 leaves bay leaf
• 🌿 1 Tsp black pepper
• 🍚 1 Tbsp sugar
• 🥤 200ml tap water
• 🏺 1 Tbsp sunflower oil
• 🍚 320g white rice (dry)

Method

1. Rinse the rice and cook it. Lightly crush the peeled garlic cloves.
2. Heat the oil in a heavy pan over a medium-high heat. Brown the chicken, skin side down, for 6–7 minutes until golden, and turn briefly. Lift out and pour off most of the fat.
3. Fry the garlic in the same pan for 1 minute. Return the chicken and add the soy sauce, vinegar (cane vinegar if you can find it), water, bay leaves and cracked black pepper.
4. Bring to the boil without stirring, so the vinegar's sharpness cooks off, then cover and simmer gently for 25 minutes.
5. Take off the lid, add the sugar and simmer for 10–15 minutes more, turning the chicken, until the sauce is reduced and glossy.
6. Taste, remove the bay leaves and serve over the hot rice with plenty of sauce.