The Philippines is not renowned for its cuisine, but chicken adobo is the well-known exception. The basic idea is this: You poach chicken in a mixture of diluted soy sauce, vinegar, and spices until it’s just about done, and then you grill or broil it. Before serving, the poaching liquid is boiled until reduced (thus eliminating any fears of bacterial contamination) and used as a sauce; it’s delicious over rice. If you know you are going to make the dish a day or two before eating it, you can poach the chicken in advance and refrigerate it, in or out of its liquid, until you’re ready, then proceed with the recipe. But because the grilling or broiling time will be a little longer than if you proceed without stopping—the cold chicken must heat through—you should use slightly lower heat to avoid burning. Serve this with plain white rice.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　1 cup soy sauce

　　1/2 cup white or rice vinegar

　　1 tablespoon chopped garlic

　　2 bay leaves

　　1/2 teaspoon black pepper

　　1 dried chipotle chile

　　1 chicken, 3 to 4 pounds, cut into serving pieces, or 2 1/2 to 3 pounds chicken parts, trimmed of excess fat

　　Chopped fresh cilantro leaves for garnish

　　

Step 1

Combine all the ingredients except the garnish with 1 cup water in a covered pot large enough to hold the chicken in one layer. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce the heat to medium-low or low (you want a slow simmer, nothing more) and cook, covered, for about 30 minutes, turning once or twice, until the chicken is cooked through. (You may prepare the recipe to this point and refrigerate the chicken in the liquid for up to a day before proceeding.)

　　

Step 2

Meanwhile, start a charcoal or wood fire or preheat a gas grill or broiler. The fire need not be too hot, but place the rack just 3 or 4 inches from the heat source.

　　

Step 3

Remove the chicken and dry it gently with paper or cloth towels. Boil the sauce over high heat until it is reduced to about 1 cup; discard the bay leaves and keep the sauce warm. Meanwhile, grill or broil the chicken until brown and crisp, about 5 minutes per side. Garnish, then serve the chicken with the sauce.

　　

Chicken Adobo with Coconut Milk

Step 4

In step 1, add about 3/4 cup coconut milk, homemade (page 584) or canned, to the cooking liquid. In step 3, after the liquid has been reduced, add another 3/4 cup coconut milk and reduce again until about 1 cup remains.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.