Adobong Manok with Pineapple Tidbits

Preparation:

1. If chicken is bought whole, cut it into serving pieces, remove any extra fat, wash it, and drain it.

2. Peel, chop, and mince the spices needed for the recipe.

3. For the marinade, combine soy sauce, cane vinegar, pineapple syrup from tidbits, half of the garlic, peppercorns, and bay leaves in a large mixing bowl. Mix well.

4. Place the chicken slices in the marinade mixture, allow to soak, and then thoroughly mix. Let it sit and marinate for at least 30 minutes, or better if refrigerated overnight.

5. After 30 minutes, separate the chicken from the marinade sauce. The marinated chicken is now ready to be fried.

Cooking:

1. Heat cooking oil in a pan, once the oil is hot enough. Fry the chicken until golden brown in oil. Then remove them from the pan and set them aside.

2. In the same pan, saute the remaining garlic and onions for a few minutes until light brown and aromatic.

3. Return the pan-fried chicken to the pan and continue to saute. Then stir in the marinade sauce.

   Note: Do not stir; allow it to simmer for 4 to 5 minutes first. Then stir.

4. Add water and then cover the pan. Let it simmer for 30 minutes over medium heat or until the sauce is reduced. Halfway of simmering, stir it to let the chicken cook evenly.

5. When the sauce has reduced, add the pineapple tidbits. Gently mix them into the sauce. Simmer for another 5 minutes. Adjust the taste as necessary before serving.

6. Transfer the adobo to serving dishes. Serve hot with a plate of rice.

   Happy cooking! Share and enjoy the food.