RECIPE 2: ADOBO ala MOI

Hailed as the country's national dish, the all-time favorite Adobo can easily earn a spot as among the indispensable dishes in a Filipino home's dining table particulary during occasions like birthday, family dinner, Christmas and other holidays. Owing to its popularity, Adobo is easily equated as the immediate definition of Filipino cusine which of course is not totally the case.

The preparation of Adobo is as varied as the thousands of islands comprising the Philippine archipelago. Every Filipino in every region in the Philippines has their own way of preparing the dish. More often than not, the preparation somehow mirrors the social and economic status of the region or the person cooking it. The bottom line is that the dish however it's prepared should reflect basic ingredients to arrive at a taste which defines Adobo.

My Adobo recipe is a result of various influences. Say, the frying of potato before adding it to the dish instead of just putting it directly to be cooked along with the meat. I learned that from an uncle whose Adobo is so famous in our village. The adding of brown sugar is something I got from an acquaintance. The choice of condiments is a result of my innumerable attempts to cook the dish. Without further ado, here is a recipe of Adobo that you may want to try.

Ingredients

1 kilo of chicken (you can mix chicken and pork if you wish)

1/2 kilo of potato

brown sugar (if not available white sugar will do)

soy sauce (it's best to use Filipino soy sauce i.e. Datu Puti or Silver Swan)

vinegar

onion

garlic (the more the better)

pepper

bay leaves

salt

oil

Procedure

1. Cut the meat into 'reasonable' sizes if you bought a whole chicken or a big chunk of pork. Sprinkle salt to the meat then set it aside. Slice the onion and crush the cloves of garlic. Peel the potatoes and slice into cubes.

2. Pour some oil into the wok or the pan and let it heat up. Add the onions then the chicken/pork when the aroma of fried onion starts to come out. Add 3 table spoon of sugar then mix. Cover the wok and leave it for 8-10 minutes allowing the meat to be fried with the onion.

3. If you have other stove, you can already start frying the potato. Make sure to sprinkle salt in it first before deep frying.

4. When the meat looks juicy and partially cooked, add soysauce (half cup), vinegar (3 table spoon), garlic, pepper and bayleaves. Mix and cover the wok then leave it for 10 mins for the meat to get cooked and absorb the taste of the mixed sauces.

4. Put the fried potatoes into the cooked adobo and mix it. Allow two minutes for the potatoes to absorb the sauces. Serve dish while it's hot.

The bottomline in preparing a yummy Adobo is having the right ingredients especially the condiments which would make up the sauce and the taste of the dish. The meat should also be fresh and most importantly you should be in your most loving self while cooking the dish as this (in a freakin weird way) adds up to the taste and palatability of your dish output. You cook with your heart so they say. Enjoy the recipe and happy Adobo cooking!