Pollo en Adobo

pollo en adobo

This week I came across a cheap chicken and no, not factory farmed – it was free range and corn fed! I thought it might need some preservation in order to keep it “fresh” for Sunday, so my choice was freezer or adobo. Since spatchcocking and marinading works perfectly for the recent sunny weather and barbecueing, the chicken’s fate was sealed by the time I got home.

Back in the 16th century, the Spanish and Portuguese combined tried and tested food pickling in vinegar with their newly discovered pimentón from the Americas to create a delicious method of preserving meat and fish while adding flavour. The Spanish called this mixture Adobo, the Portuguese equivalent being Vinha d’alhos (which is the origin of vindaloo). This meant that perishable food could be kept adobado, in barrels on long sea voyages without it spoiling. Vinegar (above 5% acetic acid) kills bacteria and pimentón inhibits insects and mould growth, providing that meat or fish is completely submerged.

These days, adobo is more commonly used as a marinade (prior to cooking), although food cooked in vinegar and pimentón (en escabeche) for preservation in cans or jars is still incredibly popular. In Mexico and South America, adobo has taken on a new dimension as a sauce marinade or sometimes dry rub. Philippine adobo is somewhat different. When the Spanish conquered the Philippines in the late sixteenth century, they discovered that the indigenous people had a cooking method that used vinegars (cane, coconu, palm, etc.) soy, garlic and other ingredients, but not generally pimentón. The Spanish called this adobo de los naturales (adobo of the natives) and the term adobo has stuck. The word adobo comes from the Spanish verb adobar – to marinate.

corn fed chicken

Before marinating, spatchcock the chicken, by removing the back bone – see here for my step by step pictures. Don’t skewer the bird until after marination.

dissection

Opening up and butterflying the chicken allows a marinade to penetrate all the meat and  the bird will cook faster without drying out.

adobo marinade

Chicken Adobo recipe:

1 medium sized chicken
6 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
3 sprigs thyme (torn up)
1 heaped teaspoon dried oregano
10 black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
a heaped teaspoon pimentón de la Vera dulce
a heaped teaspoon pimentón de la Vera picante
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

pollo adobado

Mix up the adobo ingredients in a bowl and make sure the chicken is coated all over (inside and out). Keep the pollo adobado (chicken in marinade) in the fridge. The best method of doing this is probably in a plastic bag (or plastic food container) for maximum saturation and immersion, unless you have a large barrel of adobo and walk in fridge to hand. The marinade may react with metal, so metal containers are not recommended. My chicken was marinated for 48 hours, but 12 – 24 hours in adobo will impart a good flavour.

oven ready

When it’s time to cook, soak two wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes before using – this stops them burning. Push them diagonally through the legs/thighs to the wings on the opened up side of the chicken, see here. If cooking in the oven, turn the chicken skin side up. On a barbecue, cook skin side down to start with and turn over when the bird has browned sufficiently. Do sprinkle on salt and pepper before cooking. Reserve the marinade to make a gravy, but don’t use a raw marinade on cooked meat even if it does contain vinegar!

pollo asado

Typically the weather turned cold, so the chicken went into a hot oven at 240ºC, which was turned down after 5 minutes to 180º for an hour. Check to see that the juices run clear, or use a meat thermometer. Chicken should be cooked to a temperature of 75ºC. Wrap the bird loosely in foil while you make a gravy with the leftover marinade and some stock.

gravy

Stir some plain flour into the drippings on the bottom of the oven dish, over a gentle heat and slowly mix in the reserved marinade and some stock. Taste and add seasoning if necessary.

roast potatoes

Serve with roast potatoes and seasonal vegetables, or potato salad if dining al fresco. The chicken was extremely moist and tender with an infusion of pimentón and a slight piquancy from the red wine vinegar. The vinegar flavour is subtle and not in the least bit overwhelming. I enjoyed a glass or two of Marqués de Caranó Gran Reservado (a Spanish red blend of Garnacha, Tempranillo and Cariñena grapes) with my supper.