Instead of only accumulating notes, I’ve decided to post short “reports” on my adobo experiments. A long post pointing out my favorite versions will follow some time in the future.
Chicken adobo with a chicken liver
I add coconut milk because I like the taste of it. The appearance is admittedly weird. However, the sauce both before and after adding the coconut milk made me see how the soy-and-vinegar-only versions work.
I add the chicken liver to the sauce because it needs some chicken flavor. The traditional sauce is fortified with chicken flavors because the meat cooks in the sauce. Since I build the sauce in a separate pan, I have to fortify the sauce in another way. I had a liver on hand because I’d broken down a chicken immediately beforehand.
Finally, due to the way the sauce is built, reduction isn’t important. If anything it can lead to an overly salty sauce and a too-smelly kitchen (from the vinegar). I’ll definitely try this version again. It’s convenient and my wife approves.
Ingredients
- 2 chicken cutlets
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/8 cup white vinegar
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 chicken liver
- Granulated sugar, to taste
- 2 scallions, sliced into thin rings
Procedure
- Sear the chicken over medium-high heat, flip, and roast in a slow oven.
- While the chicken finishes in the oven, assemble the sauce. Finely chop the garlic and cook to a deep brown. Add the other liquid ingredients, the bay leaf, and the chicken liver.
- When the chicken liver has cooked through, puree the sauce. Correct seasoning. (The sugar balances the harshness of the soy.)
- Remove the chicken from the oven, slice, and serve with sauce and scallions on the side.
