Chicken Adobo (aka Soy Sauce Chicken)

This Filipino dish is one of my favorites from my childhood, and is now a favorite of my son's (he has dubbed it Soy Sauce Chicken). No matter how bad my day was, as soon as I smelled the aroma of soy sauce, vinegar and garlic wafting from the kitchen, all was right in the world. Chicken adobo is still something I request when my Mom comes to visit because, let's face it, I will never be able to make it as good as Mom. But, I have to say, this is a close second. Usually this dish simmers for a bit, but I cheated and came up with a pressure cooker option, about 15 minutes from start to finish! I'll include directions for both.

I love the juices poured over my rice.

Chicken Adobo
Ingredients:
               Traditional                               Pressure cooker

• 3-4 chicken breasts                   3-4 chicken breasts
• 3 russet potatoes                       3 russet potatoes
• 1/2 cup white vinegar               1/3 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce                     1/3 cup soy sauce
• 2/3 cup chicken broth               1/3 cup chicken broth
• 3-4 garlic, crushed                    3-4 garlic, crushed
• 3 bay leaves                              3 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon pepper*                  1 teaspoon pepper*

*This dish usually calls for whole peppercorns but my family prefers ground pepper. You can use whole peppercorn if you prefer.

Directions:
Traditional Method: Cut chicken breast into 1 inch chunks and the potatoes a little larger than the chicken. Brown chicken in a large saucepan over medium high heat.
Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for approx. 45 minutes, until chicken is tender. Serve over rice with steamed broccoli on the side.

Pressure Cooker: Cut chicken breast into 1 inch chunks and the potatoes into sixths. Brown chicken in the pot of pressure cooker. Add remaining ingredients and cover pressure cooker to seal. Cook for 8 minutes once high (15 psi) is reached then quick-release the steam (do so according to your cooker's manual). Serve over rice with steamed broccoli on the side.

Yields: 4 large servings

This is a wet chicken adobo with lots of juices to pour over the rice. If you like, you can also remove the chicken and potatoes once cooked and continue to reduce the juices until thickened slightly. The flavor will be super concentrated this way and makes a great sauce for rice bowls.