Arsenic and Adobo (Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery, #1)

by Mia P. Manansala

Tita Rosie’s Chicken Adobo Adobo is often considered the Philippines’s national dish, and is more a style of cooking than specific food. The main ingredient and seasonings vary according to region (it’s an archipelago of over 7,000 islands, after all) and even according to family, but this is how Tita Rosie makes it. SERVES 4-6 NOTE: This dish tastes best when marinated for several hours, so start it early. Also, the ingredients are highly adjustable. Want it saltier? Add more soy sauce. Tangier? More vinegar. Is the flavor too strong? Add more water. Want to switch up the meats? Sub in a pound of pork belly for a pound of the chicken. Adobo is a personal experience. Ingredients 3 to 4 lbs of skin-on, bone-in chicken legs, thighs, or drumsticks (avoid chicken breasts, which are too dry for this style of cooking) ¾ cup soy sauce (Datu Puti brand preferred) 1 cup vinegar* 1 cup water 1 tsbp sugar 10 cloves of garlic, minced 1 tsp black peppercorns 2 bay leaves Put all ingredients in a large pot or sealable plastic bag, making sure the chicken is mostly submerged. Marinate in the fridge for four hours to overnight, turning the chicken or bag around several times so the marinade is distributed evenly. You can skip this step or cut the time down to only thirty minutes, but it won’t be as tasty. If you used a bag, empty the contents into a large pot and turn the heat to high. If it’s already in a pot, you can skip straight to heating everything to boiling. Once the liquid boils,...