Chicken Adobo In Coconut Milk

Photo: Chowhound

Ingredients

1 pound ½ free-range chicken, cut in 8 portions

2 inches stalks of lemongrass, trimmed, pounded and tied a neat bundle

thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and julienned

1 medium red onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 kalamansi or kaffir lime leaves

cup ¼ of white vinegar

salt and freshly ground black pepper

900 ml thick coconut milk

2 lady finger chillies

1 pound green papaya, peeled, seeded, properly cleaned and sliced to bite-sized pieces (proper cleaning of unrip

Preparation

In a large pot, saute ginger, garlic and lemongrass in oil for about 5 minutes.

Add the chicken pieces, season with salt, vinegar, kalamansi or kaffir lime leaves and a generous pinch of freshly cracked black pepper. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until all the liquid has evaporated and the chicken pieces are browned.

Add 600 ml of coconut milk. Stir constantly to avoid curdling. Cover and cook in low heat for 30 to 40 minutes. Check occasionally to make sure there is enough liquid to soften the chicken. Let half of the liquid evaporate then add the green papaya and lady finger chillies.

When the papaya is half-cooked, add the remaining 300 ml of coconut milk, again stir in the first 10 minutes to avoid curdling. Simmer for another 20 minutes or until half of the liquid has evaporated and the chicken pieces are falling off the bones.

Add comment

About

The best Filipino dishes are the ones that do not have written recipes. It's the type that is drawn from the memory of all those wonderful meals shared together by the family or from watching your mom or your grandmother make that particular dish. My Mom's chicken adobo in coconut milk is a great example of that dish. It is simple but soul satisfying. It nourishes the body and warms the heart. Back in the Philippines, when I was going to university, I would always ask my Mom to make this for me every time I come home for a visit during the semestral breaks or as a parting meal before I return to the city. This recipe brings back a lot of happy memories and has been a great source of comfort whenever I feel homesick now that I am in Canada.