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1
Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat.
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2
Once the oil shimmers, add the chicken skin side down and cook until brown, about 5 minutes.
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3
Flip and brown for another 5 minutes.
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4
When the chicken is fully browned, skim some of the excess fat from the pot, but leave about 1-2 teaspoons.
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5
Add the garlic to the pot and cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
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6
Add the remaining ingredients (soy, vinegar, bay leaves, peppercorns, sugar, and water) to the pot and bring to a boil.
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7
After the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cover.
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8
Simmer the chicken for 20-30 minutes.
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9
If you notice that the sauce is reducing too much, add more water.
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10
There should be plenty of liquid in the final product.
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11
After 20 minutes, the chicken is cooked through and you can taste the sauce and adjust to your liking.
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12
Add more soy if it isnt salty enough, add more vinegar if you want more of a tang, or add more sugar to balance out the vinegar bite.
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13
At this time, you have two options: 1) if you are starving, you can serve the chicken right away, or 2) if youre not quite ready for dinner, put the pot on low and continue to simmer.
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14
The longer you cook it, the chicken will just get more tender and more delicious!
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15
Just make sure to add more water if you see that the liquid is getting low.
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16
Serve the chicken over rice with a little sauce drizzled over the top of everything!
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17
Sarap (yummy in Tagalog)!
