Pork Belly and Chicken Adobo

An overheard conversation yielded a tasty reward for Cynthia Pratt while she and her husband were on a 14-day European river cruise aboard the Viking Ve.

The maitre d’ was listening when a gentleman from Albuquerque, N.M., told Pratt and her party about a delicious adobo he’d had in the Philippines.

Two days later executive chef Roderick Serrano surprised them with a special lunch of pork belly and chicken adobo.

“It was the best adobo any of us have ever eaten,” she wrote. “It was garnished with rings of fried shallots, a hard-cooked egg and garlic fried rice.”

Back home she came up with her version of the dish.

Adapted from chef Roderick Serrano

• 2 pounds pork belly, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 to 3 pounds bone-in chicken breasts and thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 3/4 cup cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 cup chicken broth or water
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 12 black peppercorns, crushed
• 3 bay leaves
• 3 to 4 shallots, cut into 1/4-inch rings
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Flour, for dusting
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• 6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled
• Garlic fried rice, or plain rice

In a large nonmetallic bowl, combine pork belly, chicken, vinegar, soy sauce, broth, brown sugar, garlic, peppercorns and bay leaves. Cover and marinate 6 to 8 hours.

Place in a large pot, bring to boil, then lower heat and simmer 90 minutes to 2 hours, until pork is tender.

Season shallot rings with salt and pepper. Dust with flour. Fry in hot oil. Drain.

Garnish with shallots and egg. Serve with hot rice. Serves 6.

Nutritional information unavailable.

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