editors' tips: don't keep the bay leaf at bay
My mom's meals always had a bay leaf or two. Growing up, I just accepted this as a given without much thought as to why. It wasn't until I started cooking on my own as an adult that I really understood the bay leaf's incredible culinary value. Now, it's a must in almost every dish I make, from short ribs braised in beer to my mom's chicken adobo.
I find that bay leaves add a slightly bitter yet fragrant complexity to dishes that are already packed with flavor. And, wherever there's a hint of sweet in a savory dish, I often use bay leaves as a counterpoint. (When I make short ribs braised in beer, for example, the bay leaf complements the sweet carmelized onions). Try out my mom's Filipino-style chicken adobo...
Ingredients
4 lbs skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1 head of garlic, crushed
1 large Spanish onion, cut in small wedges
2 tbsp canola or vegetable oil
1/3 cup of soy sauce
1/2 cup of vinegar
2 tbsp of sugar
3 bay leaves
1 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 bag red potatoes, washed and halved
Directions
Cook garlic in oil until slightly brown. Then
add onion and sauté until soft. Add chicken, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar,
bay leaves and black pepper, simmering for 20 minutes or until chicken
is cooked. At this point, you can sample and add more soy sauce,
vinegar, pepper or sugar to taste. (I like it tiny bit sweeter and more
acidic than my mom so I usually include a total of 1/2 cup of sugar and
1 cup of vinegar.) Note: If it's not salty enough, add more soy, not
salt.
Traditionally, Filipino adobo doesn't have potatoes, but my family always loved them in the dish. I make it simple with a bag of red potatoes washed and cut in half. I add them as the last step and continue to simmer the dish until they're tender.
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