Peggy Lampman's Tuesday dinnerFeed: Chicken Adobo

Not exactly. I followed a Sam Sifton Adobo recipe found in the Sunday Times Magazine section, and all I can say is the chef's broiler must not be as hot as mine. The recipe calls for finishing the adobo, considered by many to be the national dish of the Philippines, under the broiler 5 to 7 minutes and flipping and continue broiling. You'd think I'd know better by now; 4 minutes max yielded this blackened result.

No matter; the flavor was excellent — including the skin, which had a vinegary, crispy crunch.

According to wikipedia, "Adobo is the name of a popular dish and cooking process in Philippine cuisine that involves meat or seafood marinated in a sauce of vinegar and garlic, browned in oil, and simmered in the marinade... Although it has a name taken from the Spanish, the cooking method is indigenous to the Philippines. When the Spanish conquered the Philippines in the late 16th century and early 17th century, they encountered an indigenous cooking process which involved stewing with vinegar, which they then referred to as adobo, which is the Spanish word for seasoning or marinade."

And according to Sifton, there are as many versions of this dish as their are islands in the Philippines (7,100 islands, at last count).

This is a tasty dish, and this is an easy dish to execute, as long as you think to marinate it a day in advance. I reduced the broiler time in the recipe, so your results may have the desired golden brown exterior.

This following recipe was adapted from Sam Sifton's Chicken Adobo, who adapted it from the Purple Yam restaurant in Brooklyn.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups rice wine vinegar
1 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup soy sauce
12 garlic cloves, peeled
3 hot chili peppers
3 bay leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
3-4 pounds chicken thighs, skin and bone attached

Directions

1. Whisk together vinegar, coconut milk, soy sauce, garlic cloves, peppers, bay leaves and black pepper, and place in a large, nonreative bowl or resealable plastic freezer bag. Add chicken and toss to coat. Marinate 2 to 24 hours, 24 hours yield a more pronounced flavor.
2. Place chicken and marinade in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over high heat and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and tender, about 30 minutes.
3. Heat broiler. Transfer chicken to a large bowl, raise heat under the pot to medium-high heat, and reduce the sauce until it is the consistency of cream.
4. Place chicken pieces on a roasted pan and place under broiler 1-3 minutes, or until it begins to brown. Remove from heat, baste with sauce, and return to broiler and additional 1-3 minutes or until golden brown. Return chicken to sauce and simmer a few minutes more.