Sep 15

Sep 15 Adobo Wings

Adobo is basically the unofficial dish of the Philippines. You can adobo anything, various proteins and vegetables and you can add your own twist. Since there are over 7,000 islands, you will find that everyone has their own style. So what makes it an "adobo" dish? It has to have vinegar, soy sauce and garlic.

Today's adobo is very quick and simple and is a fun alternative to traditional "wings". It can stand alone or you can eat it the traditional way with rice. Your choice!

A quick tutorial:

A disclaimer if you are not familiar with Filipino cooking: it's very hard to follow an exact recipe as a lot of dishes are made by feel. What I'm going to provide you with is a loose guideline of what you should use, but please feel free to alter this recipe to your own liking and taste. The magic ingredient to any and all dishes is LOVE. So, make sure you are in a good mood, have good music playing, and have loved ones around to taste your masterpiece!

Ingredients:

Garlic - 1 head
oil
Chicken Wings - about 2 lbs
Shallot - 1
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Black Pepper
Lemon zest - 1 tsp
Pepper
bay leaves - 3
Sugar
Water
Vinegar - cane (YES, it makes a big difference!)
Soy Sauce - dark
Red Pepper flakes (Optional)

Instructions:

Prepare: Garlic (chopped fine), Shallot (thin sliced)
In a large pan or wok, heat oil 2-3 tbsp, and throw in garlic
Add chicken wings and season with garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper generously. mix
Add lemon zest and mix
Add shallot and bay leaves, mix and leave alone for a few minutes.
Add about 2 tbsp of sugar (you may need to add more later if the sauce is too salty)
add water (1/2 cup), vinegar (3/4 cup) and soy sauce (1/2 cup). refer to video to see sauce to chicken ratio. It's really your preference.
Allow the liquid to cook into the wings, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes.
Add Red Pepper flakes and any final changes . You should be left with very little sauce.
Enjoy!