Filipino chicken adobo

howdy! this is my adobo recipe. I like to make it with bone-in, skin on chicken thighs, but you could sub any other firm protein: pork shoulder, pressed tofu, sliced tempeh -- whatever; it will be delicious. I make it in a Crock Pot so it will be very hands-off (and thus easy), plus it won't heat up my kitchen in the summer (!), but you can do it entirely on the stovetop in a heavy dutch-oven-ish pot, if you prefer. another option is to stick it in the oven to at 225 F rather than simmering on the stovetop and cook until desired tenderness. it's very versatile.

ingredients

• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium white or yellow onion, sliced medium from root to tip (maybe 1/8 - 1/4" strips)
• a big pinch of kosher salt
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced, roughly chopped or pressed (per your preference)
• 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• 1/2 cup soy sauce (ideally Filipino)
• 2/3 cup Filipino cane vinegar (or a mild cider vinegar; but use maybe a tiny bit less)
• 2/3 tsp black pepper, ground
• 3 bay leaves
• chopped green onions or cilantro for garnish
• basmati &/or jasmine or other variety of rice for serving

directions

1. heat the olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat -- cover the bottom of the pan with it generously. add the onion when the oil is hot. add a pinch of kosher salt and stir as they cook. as they start to brown, turn the heat down to medium-high, and let them cook for about 8-10 minutes total. they don't need to be soft/translucent all the way through, but they should definitely have taken on some nice color -- even deep brown in spots. turn off the heat and add the garlic & bay leaf.
2. place the cooked onions mixture into your slow cooker. add the chicken thighs on top, and then add the sauce. make sure the chicken thighs are pressed down into the liquid as much as possible (the chicken and onions will release more liquid as it cooks). turn the Crock Pot on high and let it cook for 3-4 hours; until the chicken is done -- you want to cook the chicken until it's extremely tender. stick a fork in the chicken thighs & seeing if the meat falls right off the bones -- if so, it's done. after it cools, the bones will just slide right out and every other part of the chicken thigh will be delicious and edible.

this delivers big, well-balanced flavor for such a deceptively simple recipe. as mentioned, I like to serve it with basmati rice (or a mix of basmati and jasmine rice), garnished with cilantro. a simply prepared green veggie (like stir-fried baby bok choy with thinly sliced garlic, salt & red chili oil, or a nice salad) is a perfect accompaniment. sometimes, I make a sort of pico de gallo/salsa with chopped tomatoes & green onions, finely minced green chiles (serranos or jalapenos), finely diced dried mango (it rehydrates in the sauce and gives it great, balanced flavor by adding some fruity sweetness -- fresh mango would be wonderful, too), finely diced cucumber, chopped cilantro, lime juice and salt. that pico/salsa complements the dish well, and if you top it all with some chunks of fresh avocado, well... it's one of the best meals you'll ever eat, especially for so little effort. enjoy!