Chicken adobo

Remove the chicken from the oil and set aside to rest. To the same pot reduce the heat to medium and sauté the onions and garlic with a pinch of salt. Once onions and garlic have softened add your peppercorns, star anise and bay leaves and continue to sauté for 2 minutes.

After the two minutes add in your soy sauce, vinegar, oyster sauce and fish sauce. Stir in and combine with the muscovado or brown sugar. Once the sugar has dissolved add in your warm water, resting chicken with all its released juices.

Now is the time to cover your pot and reduce the heat to a low simmer. Its important to be patient and let the sauce thicken and the chicken to cook to a tender state without being disturbed.

Let it chicken jacuzzi and bathe in the sauce undisturbed for 30- 45 minutes.

After that time period, you can add in your segmented Asian eggplant and hard-boiled eggs. If eggplant is not your friend feel free to use something like carrots, potato, taro or bell peppers. Any one of these or a combination of these vegetables of these would be considered authentic and appropriate for this dish.

If your impatient like so many of us are, make a corn starch slurry with cold water and slowly add a little at a time until the desired consistency. In this process you should turn your burner up to medium to get the best results.

The final result should yield a sticky sauce that coats all your ingredients. Slightly sweet and yet tangy, rich in undertones of peppercorn, garlic and star anise
Adjust the sauce with salt and pepper to your taste.