The Bubble Chef

If the Philippines had a national dish, it would have to be adobo. It has become one of the most popular dishes in this country mainly because of its flavor. What most people often think of when they hear the word is a stew with the basic elements of chicken and pork in a sauce of soy sauce, white vinegar, garlic and peppercorns. However, the variations are endless, and whether served dry or moist, the unique flavor of its subtle sourness is always present. Almost anything can be cooked adobo-style: beef, fish, shellfish, and vegetables, in addition to pork or chicken, are excellent.



Today, Im gonna share with you the secret in our adobo-style of cooking. As an addition, I combined it with cubed potatoes that served as a thickening agent of the sauce. The finished dish should last for four to five days because of the vinegar used in preserving the dish. Served it with white rice.

Ingredients:

1 pound pork loin, cut into chunks
1 3-pound chicken, cut into serving pieces
1/2 cup Pork liver, finely chopped
1 head of garlic, crushed, portioned into two
1/2 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
3 medium size potatoes, cubed
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon all purpose flour
3 tablespoon vegetable or corn oil
3 pcs. laurel (bay leaves)

Method:

Bring to a boil the Chicken and pork together with the liver, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, bay leaves and black pepper. Let it simmer for half an hour.
Remove the chicken and pork pieces from the pot and saute them in garlic and oil in hot pan. Add small amount of soy sauce over the meat for extra color.
Meanwhile, add the cubed potatoes in the sauce and continue to boil the pot until it is reduced in half. Pour the sauce over the meat, add butter and flour and stir until the sauce thickens. Add salt to taste. Serve hot.

My mother used to make us a delicious hot sopas. Sopas is a tagalog word for soup. I remember, whenever she makes it, there's always lechon kawali on the side. It has been her custom way of doing it. Soup with either fried pork or fish but most of the time, its lechon kawali. I grew up in a big family and it has always been a tradition to have annual feast in the town, and whatever occassion it is, she's been our cook with some helpers. Although when we're still singles, we never had the chance to cook for ourselves coz she's always been there, we knew by heart that we could cook well after seeing how she did it well in cooking all these years. Today, I made my version of Sopas. But unlike her, I served it with Garlic Mushroom and Beef with Oyster Sauce.


Ingredients:


1/2 lb chicken
5 c chicken stock
2 garlic cloves; chopped
1 sm onion; chopped
2 tb fish sauce
1 c elbow macaroni
1 carrot, cut into strips
1/2 c evaporated milk
3/4 c shredded cabbage
1 can Vienna Sausage/Hotdogs
1 ts salt
1/4 ts pepper
2 tb oil

Method:
Put a 1/2 pound chicken breast and broth in a pan. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the chicken is tender, about 30 minutes.

Remove the chicken and let cool. Discard the chicken skin and bones. Shred the chicken meat and set aside. Strain the broth and set aside. Clean the pan.

Heat the oil and saute the onions and garlic, until the onion is soft. Return the chicken to the pan and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add carrots and macaroni and stir-fry for another 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until macaroni is al dente.

Add the fish sauce to taste. Add the cabbage and hotdogs. Cook for 5 more minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

6 servings