Twice-cooked chicken adobo with tomato salad
Prep time: 30 minsTotal time: 
Twice-cooked chicken adobo with tomato salad
My dad loves making his take on Filipino adobo for parties. It’s perfect for a crowd, as it’s easily doubled or trebled. Plus, you can poach the chicken ahead of time and finish it off under the grill
Prep time: 30 minsTotal time: 
Spencer Lengsfield
Our Senior Food Producer Spencer was born in Los Angeles, so has an inherent love for all things Mexican, Japanese, and Korean but is also heavily influenced by her family’s Louisiana heritage. She loves spice, bright flavours, and fusion food, and she has a soft spot for a chocolate chip cookie.
Spencer Lengsfield
Our Senior Food Producer Spencer was born in Los Angeles, so has an inherent love for all things Mexican, Japanese, and Korean but is also heavily influenced by her family’s Louisiana heritage. She loves spice, bright flavours, and fusion food, and she has a soft spot for a chocolate chip cookie.
Ingredients
- 150ml light soy sauce
- 200ml cider vinegar
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly bashed with the side of a knife
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
- 2 x 540g packs skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks
- 2 x 250g pouches coconut basmati rice, warmed to pack instructions, to serve (optional)
For the tomato salad
- 1 large cucumber
- 1 x 300g pack Taste the Difference Majestic Vine Tomatoes, quartered
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- ½ tbsp chilli oil, or to taste (see ‘Kitchen tip’)
- ½ tbsp fish sauce
- ½ tbsp cider vinegar
- ½ x 30g pack coriander, leaves picked
Step by step
-
Put the soy sauce, cider vinegar, bay leaves, garlic and peppercorns in a large, wide pan with 400ml water. Set over a medium-high heat and bring to a simmer, then lower in the chicken. Cook for 20 minutes, turning the chicken pieces halfway through.
-
For the salad, slice the cucumber in half lengthways, then scoop out and discard the seeds. Roughly chop, then put in a colander with the tomatoes. Season with a good pinch of salt and leave to stand over the sink for 15 minutes.
-
Put the onion, chilli oil, fish sauce and vinegar in a large bowl. Add the drained cucumbers and tomatoes to the bowl, then set aside until ready to serve.
-
Preheat the grill to high. Use a slotted spoon or tongs to transfer the chicken pieces to a baking tray. Increase the heat under the pan to high and let the sauce bubble for 5 minutes, until reduced slightly. If it reduces too much and tastes too strong, add a splash of water to balance it out. Strain the sauce into a jug, discarding the bay leaves, garlic and peppercorns. Brush the chicken with a little sauce, then finish under the grill for 3-5 minutes or until lightly charred.
-
Stir the coriander through the salad and serve with the chicken pieces, a drizzle of extra sauce and coconut rice, if using.
If you prefer less heat, use extra virgin olive oil or sesame oil in the salad, instead of chilli oil.
