Chicken Adobo
By definition, Adobo is the immersion of raw food in a stock (or sauce) composed of various ingredients to enhance its flavor. Adobo can be used as a verb, referencing this method of cooking, or as a noun. referring to a sauce or a spice. Some say the origin of adobo is the Philippines, others claim Iberian roots from Spanish and Portuguese cuisine. All I know is that there seem to be thousands of variations on adobo and I look forward to trying them all.
This version of Chicken Adobo was given to me off-the-cuff by a Mexican friend. It was obvious that the “recipe” was a go-to dinner to serve her family when too tired to think or cook. It was likely learned when standing at the heels of her grandmother in a kitchen long ago and far away. There are no measurements and therefore no right or wrong. It’s a forgiving combination of unlikely ingredients that result in a sauce so rich, so spicy that it has me licking the pot clean. But a word of warning, this sauce is truly spicy. Muy caliente! If you are not raised on spicy food, I would consider this dish hot. It was too hot for my kids and even Gary commented on the heat level as he polished off each piece of chicken.
That brings me to the protein. This is most definitely a chicken dish. The vast majority of recipes I read are for Chicken Adobo, specifically chicken thighs. I ate the sauce over toast for two nights in a row but that is certainly not normal. I was planning on cooking some shrimp in the sauce for myself and just never got around to it. When I do, likely this week, I will just bury some peeled and deveined shrimp in the simmering adobo sauce and cook for about three minutes until they are done. I will serve over rice. And already my mouth is watering. Enjoy!
Chicken Adobo
- 5 chipotle peppers, plus about a Tbls of adobo sauce from the can
- 2-3 big spoonfuls of sour cream (about 1 cup)
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 2 handfuls of raisins (I used golden raisins which resulted in a lighter colored sauce, use whatever you have on hand)
- 2 tsp chicken stock paste
- 2 Tbls water
- salt and pepper
- 1 1/2 lbs chicken thighs
- steamed rice, for serving
- Place the peppers, adobo sauce, sour cream, onion, raisins, chicken stock paste, water, and a pinch of salt and pepper into a blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour sauce into a wide sauce pan (with a lid) and set on the stove over medium high heat.
- Sprinkle the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and bury pieces in the sauce, spooning the sauce to cover each piece.
- Cover the pan and cook for about 25-30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
- Serve over steamed rice.