Chicken Adobo Bowl over Steamed Rice with Quick Pickled Cucumber

Bone-in chicken simmers in soy sauce, cane vinegar, smashed garlic, and bay leaves, served over rice with crisp pickled cucumber. This plate nods to Vinegar for the Long Crossing, where galleon cooks relied on vinegar curing before the long Pacific haul.

Serves 2

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Ingredients

• 4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
• 8 garlic cloves
• 2 tsp black peppercorns
• 3 bay leaves
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup cane vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 cups cooked white rice
• 1 cucumber
• 3 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

1. 1Smash the garlic cloves and place in a pot with the chicken thighs, peppercorns, bay leaves, soy sauce, cane vinegar and water.
2. 2Bring to a boil then reduce to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 25 minutes until the chicken is tender and the sauce has reduced to a glossy consistency.
3. 3While the chicken simmers, thinly slice the cucumber and toss with rice vinegar, sugar and salt then set aside for 15 minutes to quick-pickle.
4. 4Remove the chicken from the sauce, shred the meat from the bones and return the shreds to the glossy sauce.
5. 5Divide the steamed rice between bowls, spoon the chicken and sauce over the top and finish with the drained pickled cucumber slices.