Chicken Adobo

CHICKEN ADOBO -- FILIPINO STYLE

Serves 4 to 6.

Marinating overnight helps the already juicy chicken thighs pick up the tang of the vinegar and pepper. It is a good trick to remember for other rich cuts like pork shoulder or beef chuck. You could easily cook this up to the point of browning the chicken, and keep it overnight in the refrigerator. The meat will pick up even more flavor from the cooking liquid. Serve the adobo with rice and a slaw of Napa cabbage dressed with fresh ginger, green onion, rice vinegar and a little Asian sesame oil. Note: Find palm vinegar from the Philippines in some Asian markets. It is made from the sap of palm trees throughout the Pacific. Cider or white vinegar is a respectable substitute.

•¹/₄c. soy sauce
• 10 large cloves garlic, chopped finely
• 1 tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1¹/₄c. Filipino palm vinegar, or cider or white vinegar, see Note
• 1 c. whole canned tomatoes with their liquid
• 2 bay leaves, broken
• 3 lb. bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 8)
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
• Green onions, thinly sliced, for optional garnish

Directions
The day before cooking the chicken, take a large glass or stainless-steel bowl and combine in it the soy sauce, garlic, black pepper, vinegar, tomatoes (break them up with your hands as you add them to the bowl) and bay leaves. Add the chicken, making sure it is almost completely submerged in the marinade. Lightly cover and refrigerate 12 to 24 hours.
When ready to cook, turn the mixture into a heavy 4-quart pot. Bring to a gentle bubble, cover and cook 25 minutes, or until the center of a chicken thigh is heated to 175 degrees on an instant-reading thermometer.
With tongs, remove the chicken to a plate. Skim as much fat as possible from the cooking liquid, and start boiling it down by half. Meanwhile, film a 12-inch straight-sided sauté pan with the olive oil. Heat over medium-high. Arrange the chicken pieces skin down to brown, standing back because they may spatter. Adjust heat so chicken doesn't burn.
When they are a deep rich brown on one side, turn the pieces and scatter the onion around them. Brown, adjust the heat, and move the onions around so pieces don't burn. Then, with a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken and onions to a serving bowl. Pour the boiled-down pan juices over them and serve. Garnish the adobo with a scattering of thinly sliced green onions, if desired.

Nutrition information per serving:
Calories 370 Fat 21 g Sodium 760 mg
Carbohydrates 9 g Saturated fat 6 g Calcium 58 mg
Protein 33 g Cholesterol 110 mg Dietary fiber 2 g
Diabetic exchanges per serving: 2 vegetable, 4 medium-fat meat.

originally published in the StarTribune (http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/taste/11433821.html?refer=y)