The night of high school graduation my friend D held a small celebration at his house with a group of good friends and delicious food. There was a pot of chicken thighs and a rice cooker filled to the top with steamed rice ready for feasting, and I think I was one of the first to get up and get food (of course I would be...) besides D himself.
The chicken thighs were so tender the meat fell right off the bone, and though marinated, they didn't have too heavy a flavor--just right. I'm pretty sure these were the same chicken thighs and rice D brought for lunch, too. So I spent past months wondering about the name of the recipe--wondering why I didn't just ask him--but I think I've found it, or perhaps something close? Chicken Adobo. But despite finding the recipe that almost exactly matches those chicken thighs from my memory, my re-creation is still missing something. I probably should just ask D for the recipe, or better yet, a cooking lesson, and see what he does that makes his chicken so simply delicious.
There were so many variations on how to make Chicken Adobo: some called for ginger, others specifically for white vinegar (but Martha Stewart wrote rice vinegar, and I'm not sure if they're exactly the same, but it worked), and further recipes noted the need to pan-fry the chicken first while others invalidated that step.
So I just
stuck with simple as simple gets, which is throwing everything into the
pot, leaving it to marinate for a few hours, then boiling it and
simmering it. Easy enough. Not to forget putting the bay leaves and
black peppercorns I bought into good use (though they were actually
bought for this specific dish). The aroma of the herb, spice, and sauces
in the pot compares to that of the Taiwanese Three Cup Chicken, a dish
my mom often makes, but with basil rather than bay leaves and black
peppercorns. Even my carnivorous older sister--who RARELY eats anything I
bake let alone cook--enjoyed the Chicken Adobo :) The only reason she
tried it was because it smelled like Three Cup Chicken, but no matter,
she liked it and I'm good with that!
I've heard a lot about chia seeds lately and I've been reading about its health benefits, and to be honest I was surprised that chia seeds were used in food. Chia seeds = food?! I snorted (in my head) at the thought of eating chia pets cause that's the only thing that pops into my mind when I think chia, but I bought a bagful of seeds at Sprouts, just to try them out. Chia seeds have a boba-like texture, squishy from the gel it produces after being soaked, but crunchy and microscopic. The really good thing about chia seeds is that they keep you pretty full for a while :)
Chia pudding can be as simple as a cup of almond milk to a few tablespoons of seeds, but why not up the flavor with some star anise?! Star anise is mainly used in Chinese cuisine for braising meats and enhancing the richness in slow-cooked dishes. The internet describes star anise as having a licorice taste, but I personally can't tell/don't really know. I don't like licorice enough to remember how it tastes. Sorry licorice fans.
Simmering the whole star anise with the milk adds a subtle bit of luxury and sophistication, and overall brings the flavor profile of plain old milk to a whole other dimension. The new taste is intensely earthy bordering on exotic, and with just a teaspoonful of honey or agave, the spices' natural bitterness is easily covered.
Chicken Adobo
adapted from Alton Brown
yields about 6-8 servings
Ingredients:
4 lbs chicken thighs
1/2 cup white vinegar (I used rice vinegar)
1/2 cup soy sauce (Another recipe I saw used low sodium, so I combined 1/4 cup soy sauce with 1/4 cup water)
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tsp black peppercorn
3-4 bay leaves (I used dried bay leaves)
Directions:
- Wash the chicken thighs. In a large pot, combine all of the ingredients and let the chicken thighs marinate for 1 to 3 hours.
- Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce to low heat, cover and let simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Uncover and let simmer for another 20 or more minutes until the sauce is reduced and thickened and the chicken is tender. Remove and serve over rice.
Star Anise Chia Pudding
adpated from Khaleejesuqe
yields 1 serving
Ingredients:
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 tbs chia seeds
4 whole star anise pieces
honey/agave
Directions:
- In a small sauce pan, bring the milk and star anise to a boil, then turn to low heat and let simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Remove the mixture from the heat, cover it, and let it sit for 10 minutes until slightly cooled.
- Once the milk has cooled, remove the star anise and pour the milk into a small bowl and add in the chia seeds and mix well.
- Let the mixture sit for about 30 minutes until the chia seeds expand and form a gel, then add in honey or agave to sweeten.
- Pour into serving glasses and top with fresh fruit if desired, then refrigerate for a few hours and serve chilled.
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