Recipe # 4 Adobong Manok - My Husband's Expertise

My last entry for the month of firsts does not have anything to do with me. Today's featured recipe is my husband's first. Adobo is the first (not to mention the only) thing he has has cooked. It is the best though!

At home, though I am the one who does most of the cooking, I have to admit that if my husband puts his heart into it, his cooking would always turn out better than mine. I have heard that men are actually better cooks/chefs than women. With my papa for example, though his cooking is limited, he makes really good pansit lukban and bistek tagalog. I swear, papa can compete against the best pansit restos is Lucena. My husband on the other hand, steals the stage for his adobo. I remember just giving him instructions on how to cook it, then without supervision and interference, he did it well on his first try!!! (injustice :p)

You'll need:

3/4 kilo of chicken, chopped into 2-3 inch strips
cooking oil
5 cloves of garlic finely chopped
2 small onions diced
10 peppercorns
salt and pepper
bay leaf
water
vinegar
soy sauce

How to:

• In a hot pan with oil, saute garlic and onions until garlic is brown and onions, carmelized
• Add the chicken and brown on both sides
• Add a little bit of salt and pepper
• Add water, about 1 cup or depending on preference
• Lower heat, and cook chicken covered for about 15 minutes
• Add vinegar and soy sauce on a 1:2 ratio (1 spoon of vinegar is to 2 spoons of soy sauce) adjust till desired taste is achieved.
• add the pepper corns
• add the bay leaf
• cover for another 5 minutes.

Serve.

Bon appetit!

We eat this viand with green mangoes (kalabaw) and bagoong. The contrast between salty and sour mixed in your mouth will guarantee a rice-free kaldero in less than an hour.

Who says you have to spend for a great meal? This dish costs P130.00 all in! It can feed 4 hungry people.
So get your cooking gear out and start the fire.

Your hot cook,
Hahan

P.S. It was my son's (supposed) 4th bday on April 27th. He would have loved Jayson's adobo. Happy birthday, Melo! Love mama and papa.