Today we’re heading to the Philippines—an archipelago with a one-of-a-kind cuisine where Spanish legacy collides with Asian traditions. We’re making two iconic dishes found in every Filipino home.
🍖 Adobo
The legendary Filipino dish—chicken or pork braised in a tangy-sweet sauce of soy sauce, vinegar, and garlic until fall-off-the-bone tender. The meat takes on a deep caramel hue and melts in your mouth.
Ingredients:
• Chicken thighs (bone-in, skin-on) — 800 g
• Soy sauce — 120 ml
• Rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar) — 80 ml
• Garlic — 8-10 cloves
• Bay leaves — 3
• Black peppercorns — 1 tsp
• Water — 200 ml
• Vegetable oil — 2 tbsp
• Sugar — 1 tsp (optional)
Instructions:
Step 1. Marinate
Peel and crush the garlic with the flat side of a knife. In a deep bowl, mix soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Add the chicken thighs, toss by hand to coat every piece. Cover with cling film and marinate for at least 30 minutes (better yet, 2 hours in the fridge). The meat should darken and soak up the aromas.
Step 2. Sear
Heat a thick-bottomed skillet or pot over medium heat, add the vegetable oil. Remove the chicken from the marinade (keep the marinade!) and pat dry with paper towels. Place the thighs skin-side down and sear for 4-5 minutes without stirring. The skin should turn golden-brown and crisp. Flip and sear the other side for another 3-4 minutes until evenly browned.
Step 3. Braise in the marinade
Pour the reserved marinade and water into the skillet. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and braise for 25-30 minutes, flipping the chicken every 10 minutes. The meat should become fork-tender, and the sauce should thicken slightly.
Step 4. Reduce the sauce
Remove the lid and increase the heat to medium. Continue cooking for another 10-15 minutes, basting the chicken frequently with the sauce. The sauce should reduce by half, turning thick and glossy enough to coat the back of a spoon. Taste—if it’s too sharp, add a teaspoon of sugar.
Step 5. Caramelize
In the last 3-5 minutes, the sauce will start caramelizing on the bottom of the skillet—this is normal. Keep flipping the chicken so it gets coated in a dark, glossy crust. Watch closely to avoid burning—the sauce should smell like caramel, not bitterness.
Step 6. Final check
Pierce the thickest piece of meat—the juices should run clear. The meat should pull away from the bone easily. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes under a lid.
Step 7. Serve
Arrange the chicken on a platter and drizzle with the thickened sauce from the skillet. Serve with steaming jasmine rice—it’ll soak up every last drop. Garnish with fresh cilantro or green onions.
💡 Fun fact: Adobo is the Philippines’ unofficial national dish. The name comes from the Spanish adobar (to marinate), but the recipe itself predates colonization—vinegar was a natural preservative in a tropical climate without refrigeration.
🍲 Sinigang
A tangy Filipino sour soup made with tamarind, shrimp or pork, and a bounty of vegetables. Refreshing, spicy, and warming all at once—the perfect balance of acidity and umami.
Ingredients:
• Large shrimp (peeled) — 400 g
• Tamarind paste — 2 tbsp (or juice of 2 lemons + 1 tbsp sugar)
• Tomatoes — 2 medium
• Daikon radish — 150 g
• Green beans — 100 g
• Spinach (or bok choy) — 200 g
• Yellow onion — 1 medium
• Green chili peppers — 2
• Fish sauce — 3 tbsp
• Water — 1.5 L
• Salt — to taste
Instructions:
Step 1. Prepare the broth
Bring the water to a rolling boil in a large pot over high heat. Peel the onion and slice into 5 mm half-rings. Cut the tomatoes into 6-8 wedges each. Add the onion and tomatoes to the boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. The tomatoes should soften and release their juices, giving the broth a faint pinkish tint.
Step 2. Add tamarind
Dissolve the tamarind paste in 100 ml of warm water, stirring until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve directly into the pot to remove any fibers. Add the fish sauce. Taste the broth—it should be distinctly sour but not harsh. If using lemon juice, add it with the sugar at this stage.
Step 3. Prep the vegetables
Peel the daikon and cut into 1×4 cm batons. Trim the ends off the green beans and cut into 4-5 cm pieces. Slice the chili peppers lengthwise in half and remove the seeds (if you want less heat). Rinse the spinach and tear any large leaves by hand.
Step 4. Cook the root vegetables
Add the daikon to the boiling broth. Simmer over medium heat for 7-8 minutes. Test for doneness with a knife—it should meet slight resistance but not fall apart. Add the green beans and chili peppers, cooking for another 3-4 minutes. The beans should stay bright green and slightly crisp.
Step 5. Add the shrimp
Increase the heat to high and bring the soup back to a vigorous boil. Add the shrimp and stir gently. Cook for exactly 2-3 minutes—no longer. The shrimp are done when they’ve turned completely pink, curled into a "C" shape, and feel firm to the touch. Overcooked shrimp turn rubbery.
Step 6. Finishing touch
Add the spinach and turn off the heat. Stir—the leaves will wilt from the residual heat in 30-40 seconds while keeping their vibrant color. Taste the broth and adjust the acidity (add more tamarind) or saltiness (add fish sauce or salt).
Step 7. Serve
Ladle the soup into deep bowls, distributing the shrimp and vegetables evenly. Serve immediately while piping hot, with a small bowl of steamed rice on the side. Filipinos eat sinigang by alternating spoonfuls of soup with bites of rice.
💡 Fun fact: Sinigang is one of the Philippines’ oldest soups, made long before the Spanish arrived. Tamarind grows across the archipelago, and every region has its own version—with fish, pork, beef, or seafood. The sour taste helps beat the heat of the tropical climate.