Adobo sa Gata (Chicken Adobo with Coconut Milk)

Let's go back to my motherland and try some of our native cuisine we call Adobo, but this time with a twist... It's Adobo with Coconut Milk, or we call it Adobo sa Gata. As I've mentioned before, Adobo is the most common Filipino food served everywhere there is a Filipino, it is common because it's easy to make, have a long shelf life and it is appealing to the Filipino tastebuds that even the non-natives would like. Since Adobo is common, sometimes it can be boring as everyday, we eat Adobo, so why not try something new. I remember before, when I was in college, our helper used to cook Adobo with Ginger almost everyday, that it became her trademark and a running joke between my college friends and I. Everytime my friends would go to our house, we always have a guessing game what will be the food for today, and as usual, we were always right... Adobo with Ginger! lol! There are many varieties of Adobos, you have it like a stew or dry, some people put orange juice, pineapple juice, pineapple chunks, ginger, wine or even Sprite (yup, the soda). I read somewhere that you can also make an Adobo with coconut milk, so I tried it, and I find the end result interesting and delicious. Instead of the usual salty and sour combo, the coconut milk surely makes it creamy. I cooked this dish a long time ago, only now that I posted this, but I can still remember how people liked this dish so much because it is a breakaway from the usual Adobo, we Filipinos always have. My Belgian uncle likes Adobo that he sometimes ask for me to cook it, the thing is, I'm not good with Adobo, but my mother surely cooks the best one. Other than my mother, a special shout out to my colleagues who also cooks wicked Adobo, Ate Jenny, Ate Rose and Abigail... oh, also the karenderia (canteen) my college friends and I call Bulatum. Next time, I will make Adobo with Double Cream instead of Coconut Milk and add some British apples and I shall call it, British Adobo... but that's for another post.

Ingredients:

6 Pieces of Chicken Thigh
1 Can of Coconut Milk
4-6 Potatoes
2 Garlics
1 Onion
5 Bay Leaves
1/2 Tbsp Peppercorns
6 Tbsp Soy Sauce
6 Tbsp Vinegar
1 Cup of Water
Cooking Oil

Direction:

Marinate the chicken in soy sauce, peppercorns and minced garlic for an hour. On a pan, saute the onion then add the marinated chicken and bay leaves. Continue to saute until the liquid has evaporated and meat starts to render fat. Transfer the marinade to the pan including bits of garlic and peppercorns, add a cup of water. Simmer in medium fire until the chicken becomes tender. Pour vinegar and continue to simmer. On the last 10 to 15 minutes of cooking, add the potatoes and pour the coconut milk, let it boil and simmer for awhile. Plate it, take a picture before eating. Bon Appetit Mes Amis : )