You know what happened this weekend?!!? THIS happened. And we went. And stood in line. That was over 2 blocks long. But because CFA is fantastic in every way, it only took about 40 minutes, and then I had perfectly breaded chicken sandwich in my belly with crispy waffle fries and yellow CFA sauce to dip. Southern heavenly goodness has arrived in NYC, and now I'm thinking we have no reason to ever leave NY now! (Haha jk. The tex mex situation is still an unsolved problem up here...)
In other news, I never really understood how cooking could evoke strong emotions, but when I cook Filipino food, I get a little bit emotional. I can't help but think of my Lola and how much she loved to cook. But it is a good feeling overall, because I think it is a great way to remember her by and keep her memory alive.
Adobo is a very popular Filipino dish that is usually made with either chicken or pork and served with rice (obviously!). The exact ingredients vary by region, but the base of soy sauce, garlic, vinegar and black peppercorns remain the same. I did some research on how it is prepared by region and the Visayans (the group and language/dialect my mom grew up speaking), supposedly add coconut milk to it. I'm not entirely sure if this is how my Lola prepared it or not, but it helped thicken the sauce and made it super creamy and flavorful. It is such an easy dish to prepare, with minimal clean-up, and so so perfect for all of these fall chilly nights, I plan on making it again very soon! My mouth is watering just thinking about it...
Chicken Adobo (serves 3-4)
Ingredients:
- 1 lb chicken (legs and thighs with bone-in are best!)
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 can coconut milk
- sprinkle of black peppercorns
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 bay leaf
Directions:
In a large pot or dutch oven, brown chicken on both sides over medium-high heat. Add the rest of the ingredients into the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower heat. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally and flipping chicken halfway through. Remove lid and allow to simmer a little longer, until sauce is thickened, about 15-20 minutes.