Cooking Lesson #273: Non-Traditional Filipino Adobo-Fried Chicken

… from the California Kitchen

How you doin? I’m doing great this morning because last night I made Adobo-Fried Chicken for dinner. It has all the flavors of a traditional adobo with the added advantage of it being crispy fried.
 
Traditional Chicken Adobo is a Filipino dish made by braising chicken legs and thighs in a sauce made up of vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and black pepper. It’s tangy, salty, garlicy, slightly sweet, and spicy—hits all the levels of flavor. The chicken is slowly simmered in the sauce making it flavorful and incredibly tender.
 
Pedro de San Buenaventura is credited with the “invention” of Chicken Adobo. The word adobo is derived from the Spanish word adobar, which means “marinade” or “pickling sauce.” The existence of the tangy dish was first recorded in 1613 in Spain or Portugal.
 
The original dish is slowly braised and simple to make in a Dutch oven, slow cooker or an Instant Pot. The result is wonderfully, full-flavored chicken in a yummy sauce that goes perfectly over rice. 
 
My recipe for Adobo-Fried Chicken is a little bit more complicated than the traditional style. The process covers all the basics—the legs and thighs are simmered in an adobo broth of vinegar, bay leaves, sugar and soy sauce for 15 minutes, giving the meat a strong foundation in the Philippine flavor before the magic is added. It is then dunked in buttermilk, breaded and fried.  I used a Dutch oven half filled with oil for frying.
 
To add another layer of flavor you need to make this spectacular dipping sauce. Make the dipping sauce and refrigerate it before you simmer the meat, so you can dig in as soon as the fried chicken has drained and cooled.  
 
Prep time:  15 minutes
Braise time:  35 minutes
Rest time:  15 minutes
Fry time:  6 to 8 minutes
Cool time: 10 to 15 minutes
Yield:  6 servings
Allow:  1 hour 30 minutes
 
Ingredients
For the dipping sauce
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 fresh Thai bird or habanero chiles, thinly sliced
3/4 cup hot water
 
For the braising broth
1-1/2 cups distilled white vinegar (5%)
3 tablespoons finely minced garlic
4 bay leaves
1-1/2 teaspoons black peppercorns
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce (low sodium)
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1-1/2 cups water
 
For the chicken
2 pounds chicken pieces with skin— thighs and/or drumsticks, plus wings if desired (do not use breasts—they dry out too much—dark meat is moister and has more flavor)
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 cups buttermilk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
About 8 to 10 cups peanut oil
 
Directions
To make the dipping sauce

1. Combine all the ingredients with 3/4 cup hot water in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

To make the braising broth

1. In a large pot with a tight lid. Combine all the ingredients with 1-1/2 cups water—enough to barely cover chicken (do not add the pieces yet).
2. Cover and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer the liquid for 5 minutes, then turn heat down as low as it will go. This will allow the chicken pieces to steep, not stew in the liquid.

To prepare the chicken

1. Arrange the chicken pieces on a work surface and season with salt. Add to broth, cover and poach for 15 minutes, turning once halfway through. Make sure the liquid does not get hotter than a gentle simmer. This is enough to infuse in the flavor.
2. Turn off heat and allow the chicken to cool in the liquid about 20 minutes.
3. Transfer the chicken to a plate lined with paper towels. Pat dry. Discard braising broth.
4. Pour buttermilk into a large shallow bowl.
5. In a sealable plastic bag, combine the flour with all the spices.
6. Working a few pieces at a time, dip the chicken in the buttermilk, shake off any excess liquid, then drop into bag with flour mixture. Seal the bag and turn and shake to coat pieces. Remove the pieces from bag, shake off any excess flour and transfer to a large plate.
7. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Set a timer.

To fry the chicken

1. While you are waiting for your chicken pour the oil into a large, deep pot (fitted with a deep-frying thermometer), until it comes just halfway up the sides. Heat oil to 365°F.
2. Cook the chicken pieces 3 or 4 at a time for 8 to 10 minutes, turning every minute or so, depending on how thick the pieces are; wings will cook faster and drumsticks will take longest. Be sure to keep oil temperature between 350°F and 365°F. The chicken is cooked when internal temperature reaches at least 165⁰F.
3. Using tongs, lift the chicken out of the oil and drain on paper towels. Let cool for at least 15 minutes (chicken should still be hot, but not scorching).
4. Season again with a little salt and transfer to a serving platter. Serve hot, with the dipping sauce.

ChefSecret:  Okay, I realize this recipe is a little more complicated and you will have to scrub up the oil spatter, but your efforts will receive their just rewards—everyone will love your exotic cheffy efforts. I had a couple of pounds of disjointed chicken party wings in the frig.  All I did was reduce the frying time by about 2 minutes.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “I don’t know about you, but I’m getting more telemarketing calls at home during the pandemic than ever before. My neighbor told me she just hands the phone over to her 3-year-old granddaughter and tells her to speak to Santa. They don’t seem to call back that often anymore.”
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