2.5– 3 lbschicken thighs 1.5 kg (bone-in, skin-on for flavor; boneless skinless also works)
Marinade
1/2cup120ml soy sauce (regular or light; avoid dark soy)
1/3cup80ml vinegar (Filipino cane vinegar preferred, or white/coconut vinegar)
1 1/2cups360ml water (or enough to partially submerge chicken)
5– 6 cloves garlicminced or smashed
3bay leavesfresh or dried
1tspwhole black peppercornsor 1/2 tsp coarse ground black pepper
Cooking the Chicken
2tbspneutral oilcanola, vegetable, or avocado oil
1medium onionthinly sliced or diced
1– 2 tbspbrown sugaradjust to taste, or omit if using cane vinegar
Garlic Coconut Rice
2cups380g uncooked jasmine rice
1 1/2cups360ml water
1/2tspsalt
3tbspcoconut oil
1/4cupgarlicsliced on a mandoline very thinly
1tbspfish sauce
Saltonly if needed (soy adds a lot of salt already)
Chopped green onions or cilantro for garnish
Instructions
Make Marinade
Combine soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, bay leaves, and pepper
Marinate chicken for 30 minutes, no more, in fridge
Make Rice
Wash rice and cook in rice cooker
Cook garlic until barely browning in coconut oil and remove to a small bowl and reserve both garlic and oil
Stir fry rice in coconut oil and after a bit add back in the garlic and stir fry. Add fish sauce and set rice aside
Cook chicken
Remove chicken from marinade and dry off. Reserve marinade
Add some water and brown sugar to marinade.
Heat oil over medium heat and brown chicken skin side down for 2-3 minutes. Flip and brown other side for 2-3 minutes. Remove chicken to plate and drain off much of the oil
Add onions to skillet and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Then add back chicken skin side down. Add in reserved marinade with garlic and bay leaves. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cook partially covered for 20 minutes. Turn chicken over and cook uncovered for about 20 minutes more. Turn off heat but leave thighs in pan.
Remove thighs to another pan and place under broiler for a minute or two. Be careful not to burn. Reduce sauce and then add thighs back into pan and spoon sauce over
Serve over rice covered with some chopped cilantro or green onions
