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The summer of 2019…..ah! Remember?? No COVID, no masks, people sharing chips from the same bowl. That July 4, my dear friend Anelyn, a native Filipino, arrived at 7am to begin marinating chicken for our Filipino Grill Extravaganza. Both our extended families would be arriving several hours later to enjoy our creations and celebrate Independence Day.
I dreamed about the salty-sweet-tart flavor of that chicken and the chewy-crispy charred spots throughout lockdown and quarantine. What I did not dream about was the very long and complicated prep and marinating time. I also didn’t dream about how long bone-in chicken takes to cook on a grill, and the meticulous attention required not to burn it to bits. For those of you who know me, it will come as no surprise to learn that during the long, quiet months that followed in 2020, I developed a quicker, yet admirable knock-off of Anelyn’s authentic Filipino Adobo Chicken, which I affectionately dubbed Faux-Dobo.
How do I know it’s an admirable knock-off? I had the gumption to cook it for her and her family this summer, and the sight of her happily gnawing the chicken right from the skewer (her second!!) was all I needed to know that Faux-Dobo had the flavors to earn a spot in my grilling rotation.
While Adobo is traditionally served over rice, during summer season we prefer lighter flavors at my house, so I riffed on another Asian classic – Chinese Tiger Salad – to serve beneath the grilled chicken. Classic Tiger Salad calls for a quick pickle of veggies with chile, lots of fresh herbs and baby greens, but I used slightly under-ripe stone fruits in the pickle instead, which magically turns the fruit sweet on your palate.
Hope you enjoy it as much as Anelyn did!
Faux-Dobo Grilled Chicken Skewers
- ½ large white onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup Datu Puti Filipino Vinegar (or sub white vinegar)
- ½ cup soy sauce
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- ½ large white onion, coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 6-8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed, and cut into 5-6 pieces
- 8 soaked bamboo skewers
- Combine the marinade ingredients in a blender and whirl until liquefied. The mixture will be foamy – just stir it back when it begins to separate. Pour half the mixture into a shallow glass pan or plastic container and add the chicken pieces. Toss to fully coat. Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 hour. Divide the remaining marinade into 2 bowls.
- Just before grilling, thread 5/6 pieces of chicken onto each soaked skewer. Don’t pack the chicken pieces tightly together on the skewer (giving them a little space allows for quicker cooking and more yummy charred spots.) Preheat the grill to medium-high (about 450/500 °) and lightly oil it. Arrange the skewers on the grill and cook undisturbed for about 5 minutes, turn and cook an additional 5 minutes, or until the chicken has cooked through. During grilling, brush with some of the reserved marinade from one of the bowls. After grilling, brush with the marinade from the second bowl.
- Enjoy with the Tiger Fruit Salad or over white rice garnished with sliced scallions.