A Quick Cluck

I'm deep in the incredibly layered and rich history of honey at the moment, so ... the honey posting I keep promising is not ready! I need more honey, more research, more sweetness before I can share it on here.

But I do want to share something else: chicken adobo. I've never been a huge fan of chicken, I think more than likely due to the pretty nasty growing practices they've been subjected to which does nothing for their taste let alone our health. However, a good chicken goes a long way and it's worth going the extra mile to find one. It is easier to digest than beef for one, and if you are weak and/or sick and you need a nice sweet warm protein to build yourself up with, then chicken it is. After Thanksgiving with all it's heavy richness, all I wanted was something simple with a little vinegar to cut the fat from the weekend (vinegar is an excellent way to move the blood and digestion). So I made adobo. Now adobo is much like making chilli, there seems to be a thousand ways to make it "authentically" (as you can see here in all these different pictures). I go with the way my roommate in college taught me. Chicken (preferrably with the bone and skin on), vinegar (apple cider or white), whole garlic cloves, whole black peppercorns, bay leaves, soy sauce, a little water, and that's it! So simple, and so so so so so so good. It's sweet, vinegary, salty, oozy, and fall-off-the-bone good.

Ingredients:

chicken with bone and skin (you choose but make sure you have enough meat to soak up the sauce)
bay leaves
garlic cloves
black peppercorns (whole)
soy sauce
vinegar (cider or white)

1. Brown the chicken in the pot first, add substantial amounts of garlic cloves (I used a whole bulb for two pieces of chicken thighs) so they lightly brown. Add water (just enough to cover the bottom of the pot). Add 1 part soy sauce to 1/3 part vinegar. You want the chicken to be at least half way covered. Add bay leaves. Bring to a boil.
2. Allow the chicken to simmer for a few hours turning it occasionally. You will know when it's done as the chicken meat falls off the bone and the sauce thickens into a caramely colored goodness. Serve over rice.

(some fun variations on this are adding potatoes, onions, or coconut milk)