How to make chicken adobo with coconut milk, a Philippine homestyle classic
- Adobo is a classic dish from the Philippines, where each cook has their own version. The only constants are garlic, vinegar, peppercorns, and chicken or pork
- Coconut milk is used to tone down the acidity of the vinegar in this chicken version
My first restaurant job in Hong Kong was as pastry chef at a restaurant where all the cooks – except myself and the head chef – were Filipino. They were a talented group who cooked American/European food for the restaurant, but when it came to staff meals, they prepared homestyle dishes from the Philippines.
Chicken adobo with coconut milk
Because I hadn’t yet visited the Philippines at that time I didn’t know much about the cuisine, but by eating with those cooks, I came to realise that the food is far more varied than most people think.
They were from various regions in the Philippines, and even I could taste the differences in the dishes they took turns preparing for the staff. We ate adobo several times a week and, while the protein was invariably chicken or pork, the seasonings and the amounts used differed according to the cook. The only ingredients the adobos had in common were vinegar, garlic and black peppercorns.
This version of chicken adobo uses coconut milk, which tones down the acidity of the vinegar. If you still find the sauce too sharp, add a tiny amount of sugar towards the end, just enough to balance the flavours. If you add sugar, you should still be able to taste the vinegar – the adobo should not be sweet.
There are different ways of preparing this dish. Some recipes will have you marinate the chicken, then brown the pieces before simmering them with the sauce. I avoid this because it makes a huge mess on the hob: no matter how much you try to dry the chicken pieces, there will be some moisture left, which makes the oil splatter in the skillet.
