It seems kind of strange, writing this blog post at this moment, with all the crazy weather that is taking place in our nation right now. The wind is gusting powerfully even here in Ohio, and I can only imagine the destruction that is taking place eastward. To those that live in the areas affected by Hurricane Sandy, know that I am praying for your safety.
When I received a review copy of Patricia Tanumihardja’s The Asian Grandmother’s Cookbook a few months ago, I was thrilled. The book was released in August of this year, and its concept is one I can appreciate. With a passion for capturing lost and never recorded cooking techniques, the author interviewed and spent numerous hours in the kitchens of several older Asian American women, gleaning their wisdom and knowledge. Her book contains the personal stories of some of these ladies and, of course, many of their recipes.
There is a lot to love about this cookbook. Patricia provides explanations of unusual Asian ingredients, including photos of some, and she covers a lot of ground by presenting recipes from multiple nations. Methods and techniques are described in detail, giving novice cooks the tools needed for success; options for variations plus additional notes and tips are listed as well. Overall, the book has me intrigued and enthusiastic about Asian cooking. The recipes for Garlic Fried Rice, Korean Barbecue Beef Short Ribs, and Sweet Melon and Tapioca Pearls in Coconut Milk are all on my to-make list.
My main critique of this cookbook is that I feel like it stops short of its full potential. The photos are gorgeous, only I wish there were more images to help dispel some of the mystery behind these new-to-me dishes. The recipes are lovely, but I am left craving education on the sub-types of Asian cooking, such as what ingredients and techniques are usually associated with Thai cooking or Vietnamese cooking, etc. There is also a noticeable void of common Asian dishes. Perhaps this is intentional in order to get readers thinking outside the box of what’s typically served in American restaurants, but I was left wondering how to make some of my favorites, such as Crab Rangoon and Pad Thai. Lastly, the table of contents isn’t very detailed, but now I’m just getting nitpicky.
Overall, The Asian Grandmother’s Cookbook is a book I plan to keep cooking and learning from for the foreseeable future and one that I’d recommend to others. We tried the Chicken Adobo last night, and everyone agreed it was something we should make again. A short braise on the stovetop is all that is needed to cook the meat, and then it goes into a skillet to crisp the skin before serving with a side of steamed rice. The garlic, black peppercorns, vinegar, and soy sauce mellow and integrate nicely as it cooks, creating a sauce that is nothing short of scrumptious.
Ingredients
- 1 cup cane vinegar or distilled white vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 6 cloves garlic, smashed with the flat part of a cleaver or large knife
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 1/2 teaspoons black peppercorns, crushed
- 8 whole chicken leg quarters (4 to 5 pounds), cut into drumstick and thigh sections
- 3/4 cup soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- Chopped green onions for garnish
Instructions
- In a large nonreactive pot or Dutch oven, mix together the vinegar, water, garlic, bay leaves, and black peppercorns. Add the chicken. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add the soy sauce and stir to coat the chicken evenly. Cover and simmer for another 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a plate, shaking off as much excess liquid as possible. Pat the pieces dry with paper towels. Discard the bay leaves. Skim the fat from the sauce and set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over high heat until very hot but just before smoking. In batches, add the chicken and pan-fry until crisp and browned evenly on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Add the reserved sauce and stir for a few minutes while scraping up the brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Simmer over low heat until reduced slightly, about 10 minutes.
- Transfer the chicken to a rimmed platter, pour the sauce over, and scatter with green onions.
Recipe reprinted with permission from the author.
Tips and Tidbits
- While I thought this recipe was tasty as-is, I might try cutting back on the soy sauce and increasing the amount of black peppercorns next time. Also, maybe a smidge of sugar to contrast with the tang of the vinegar.
- As a head’s up, I had a hard time keeping the skin of the chicken intact when transferring it from my braising pot to the skillet. It had become delicate through the cooking process and was easily punctured. I’m wondering if it would work to broil the chicken very close to the heat instead of pan-frying it; that way, there’d be less mess on the stove top, plus I might be able to save more of the skin that way.
ENJOY!
sounds delicious, punctured skin and all! i love Asian cooking but have never really taken the time to learn it myself.
I’m in the same boat – I feel like there’s so much to learn! I often season my food simply with EVOO + S&P, so the heavy reliance on spices and flavor infusions in Asian cooking really throws me off. Not intuitive for me, but a good challenge.
I made this from Pat’s book, too, and loved it! I also had a problem with the chicken totally falling apart on me and I think you might be on the right track with the broiling. If you try it, I want to hear how it works out. And your picture is gorgeous!
Thank you, Jody! Another reader, Lisa, commented that the broiling should work. I will definitely give it a try soon
Looks really tasty!
Thanks for sharing
This is one of my favorite dishes, ever!
i grew up on adobo (my mother is from the philippines). now, adobo is comfort food in our house. served with freshly cooked rice and steamed broccoli, it can make everyone in my family feel a little better.
i usually do a 2:1 ration of water:vinegar. and i’ve come to sub white vinegar with apple cider vinegar and a splash of balsamic. throw in 1 or 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and a dollop of honey to cut the vinegar bite (i tend to like my adobo sweeter). also, i just add everything into the pot together. it’s a very quick throw-together meal. you can even throw in frozen chicken thighs into the pot with the sauce ingredients, bring to a boil and let cook through. i often cook the chicken to the point where it it falling apart. remove the skin and bones and shred it so it becomes a chicken stew. if you want to keep the chicken intact and crisp the skin, remove the chicken pieces to a baking pan and place under the broiler til crisp. keep an eye on it – it goes fast. serve the sauce on the side to drizzle over rice. enjoy!
Love these tips, Lisa! Thanks for sharing.
That sounds like an interesting book – maybe I’ll see if I can check it out of the library first to skim it. Thanks
Don’t think too many grandmothers are passing down traditional crab rangoon recipes to their families…it’s more of a (delicious, cream cheese filled) Chinese-American restaurant appetizer.
Agreed.
Perhaps it was just wishful thinking on my part, Mary, as crab rangoon is one of my faves.
I’ve always made this dish more simply than this. I do a 1:1 ratio of white vinegar and soy sauce, peppercorns, tons of garlic and boneless skinless thighs. I bring that mix to a boil, lower to a simmer and it’s done when it’s falling apart. Super simple, amazingly good!
Thanks for sharing your method, Alice!
I usually
Sorry, about that. What I meant to say was that I usually skip the pan-frying step, but only because I’m too lazy for it. It’s something you can do when you’re in a hurry or don’t want to wash another pot. It’ll still be authentic, and it will still be good, but maybe not as good as when you brown the chicken. I also add large cubes of potatoes as I boil the chicken. It just gives a different texture to the dish.
Hi, I’m allergic to soy sauce . . . any ideas? This dish looks amazing!
Hi Jennifer! I don’t know if you saw Kimberly’s comment below with her suggestion for a homemade soy sauce substitute, but in addition to that I would consider looking into Coconut Aminos. I know they sell it at Whole Foods and that it is soy-free, but I haven’t tried it myself. Another blogger, Rose over at Our Lady of Second Helpings, recently wrote a post in which she shared her experience with it if you are interested in checking that out. http://ourladyofsecondhelpings.com/2012/10/29/soy-free-grilled-chicken-teriyaki/
I hope that helps!
Hi Jennifer – Not sure if this would help you or not. My roommate is gluten intollerant and also can’t have soy but Kikoman has a Gluten Free Soy Sauce that may or may not work for you. I found it in Safeway. Thought I’d throw that out there just in case it would help you. Another option … I found this on Allrecipes.com:
4 Tbsp beef bouillon
4 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp dark molasses
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 pinch white pepper
1 pinch garlic powder
1 1/2 cups water
Combine all and boil in small sauce pan for approx 15 min till it reduces to approx 1 cup.
Thank you, Kimberly! I would have never thought of making a homemade soy sauce substitute. Love that!
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