Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Adobo

A couple of years ago, my friends and I sat for a dégustation in a quiet restaurant in downtown Makati. The place was reserved for ten people, mostly seasoned chefs, and cooks in their own right. We enjoyed a sampling of the Austrian chef's signature dishes, most memorable of which was his chicken adobo. I learned later on that it was cooked with bittersweet chocolate.

Talking us through the dish, the chef said that this was the most challenging because unlike Europe, Asia, and most parts of the world, Philippine cuisine is strictly regional. Searching keyword "adobo" online listed millions of different recipes. It's done differently in Ilocos, Bicol, Cebu, Pampanga, even Sulu. Finally, he cross-referenced all the recipes and found that the common ingredient is vinegar.

I found out recently that this chef added his own chocolate adobo recipe to the long list online, waiting for the next culinarian to continue its evolution.

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