“The pandemic has challenged us, but the show must go on and we, as a film industry, are obligated to progress and grow,” said by Festival Director Siti Kamaluddin in her welcoming remarks at the virtual screening of the Brunei Film Blitz 2021 Awards screened on the OOPs! YouTube Channel.
The event was a ‘one-run-and-done’ premiere of 10 shortlisted films under three Blitz competitive categories – open category, Islamic short film and the 96 hour blitz.
This year, the award gala saw many firsts – this virtual screening, international film submissions and the introduction of the Imagine Choice Award.
The festival director also expressed her gratitude to the juries who lent their expertise to judge this year’s submissions.
Judge Balaka Ghosh said, “There were many interesting topics explored in the film entries, and I enjoyed watching the varieties of new content. The films were modern, yet highlighted the embedded culture and traditions reflective of the Southeast Asian region.”
Open category winner Gita Kinanthi Purnama Asri Adinda, an Indonesian filmmaker, received a trophy and BND1,000 for her dance film Sea Threshold. The film’s conceptual theme is rich in culture and values, showing deep respect towards nature and the environment.
Meanwhile, Islamic category winner Amal Nazihah, a local filmmaker, also received a trophy and BND1,000 with her film Censorship.
“This is a cinematically important topic to explore, and it is interesting to have a glimpse of the censorship process,” said Judge Daniel Rudi.
Amal Nazihah said the documentary was part of her Malay Islamic Monarchy (MIB) assessment, and she was grateful to the Brunei Film Blitz and the jury for the recognition.
The most challenging category, the 96 hour Blitz, was won by local filmmaker Alfath bin Sellahuddin with his film Teranah, earning him a BND1,500 cash prize.
In this category, the filmmakers were required to shoot and edit a quality film in four days. To ensure the participants will adhere to the specified production dates, a secret ingredient was announced by Blitz organisers which must be prominently presented in the story or visuals.
Alfath’s film utilised and executed the ‘Day-for-Night’ secret ingredient using soundscapes, lighting and colour grading to make daytime shooting seemed like it was filmed at night.
“The secret ingredient was indeed a challenge, but not impossible once you break down the technical elements of a night scene,” said Alfath. “I’d like to thank my family and my team for supporting me throughout my journey. I feel humbled in receiving the award.”
This edition of the Brunei Film Blitz also introduced an Imagine Choice Award. This accolade was given to a local filmmaker who demonstrated creativity and imagination in the production. After careful consideration, the Imagine jury selected Donny Jerome for his film The Haunted; a film that explored mental illnesses and the perspective of a young man suffering from schizophrenia.
The virtual event concluded with master film editor, Marya Ignacio, congratulating all filmmakers for their submissions.
“As a professional editor, I was impressed with many of the cuts and transitions.
Nonetheless, as a jury, I must caution filmmakers to avoid over-scoring in their films as visuals and sound must go hand in hand,” said Marya.
The Brunei Film Blitz will return in December next year.
ENIWA, JAPAN (AP) – The dozens of Type 90, or Kyumaru, tanks rumbling through recent shooting drills on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido exemplify the challenge its arms makers face both at home and overseas as the country fortifies its defences against strategic threats.
The Self Defense Force needs the more advanced aircraft and weaponry sold by United States (US) arms manufacturers as Japan’s strategic focus shifts from Russia in the north to the south, where it faces incursions by Chinese fighter jets and naval vessels and North Korean missile launches.
Big Japanese defence manufacturers like Mitsubishi, IHI Corp and Kawasaki Heavy Industries are struggling to sell 20th Century tanks, aircraft and warships. They need to develop better technology to serve a military in the market for unmanned aircraft like Tritons made by Northrop Grumman and Boeing’s undersea Echo Voyager.
Likewise, Japan’s international arms sales never really have taken off. Uncompetitive, with high prices, ageing technology and scant government support, arms makers in Japan increasingly are just withdrawing from the business.
The hefty Kyumaru tanks built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries debuted 30 years ago and are being replaced with lighter and more mobile armoured vehicles that can travel on public roads and or have amphibious capabilities, including American amphibious assault vehicles.
Japanese Ground-Self Defense Force Type 90 tanks at the annual drill with live ammunitions exercise at Minami Eniwa Camp in Eniwa, northern Japan of Hokkaido. PHOTOS: APABOVE & BELOW: Japanese Air Self-Defense Force’s F-35A stealth fighter at Misawa Air Base in Misawa; and a Chinese coast guard vessel sailing near the East China Sea islands
“People may think Japan has advanced technology and it can quickly catch up with others and start selling equipment if it only gets serious, but I think that’s wrong,” said expert on defence issues and professor at Hokkaido’s Takushoku University Heigo Sato.
“The problem is, Japan’s defence products are not first grade. Nobody is interested in buying second- or third-grade products at higher prices,” he said.
Japan created its own Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency in 2015 to try to energise the sluggish domestic defence industry and promote joint technology research, development and sales with friendly nations. But profits have dwindled at home, as the government, instead of promoting sales, increased big-ticket purchases from the US.
Japan is the world’s 12th largest arms importer, with a 2.2-per-cent global share. Most purchases are from its ally the US, according to the latest survey by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, a global research organisation.
A large and growing share of the JPY2 trillion (USD17.7 billion) annually in equipment purchases by the Defence Ministry are made through the US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme. They more than tripled from JPY190.6 billion (USD1.7 billion) in 2014 to JPY701.3 billion (USD6.2 billion ) in 2019, when Japan placed orders for F-35 stealth fighters, missile interceptors and other expensive equipment to reinforce its defences against China and North Korea.
Haggling over expensive American jets and other equipment has slowed progress on revamping the nation’s defences, Defence Ministry officials said.
Japan has negotiated the cost of upgrading dozens of F-15 fighter jets, which had doubled from the initial US estimate, down to JPY397 billion (USD3.5 billion) from JPY552 billion (USD4.8 billion). To cut costs, Japan switched to domestic-made shorter-range air-to-surface standoff missiles from the initial plan to use US long-range anti-ship cruise missiles, among other revisions, they said.
Army officials at the Hokkaido drills said they’d take whatever equipment they can get. One official joked that his camouflage uniforms were surely still Japanese made.
Japan’s total defeat in World War II, when it tried to conquer much of Asia, has left many Japanese wary of military buildups. The postwar constitution limits use of force to self-defence, and a ban on arms exports was only lifted in 2014.
Moreover, Japanese scientists tend to be reluctant to engage in research and development of technologies that can be used for military purposes.
Since the Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency was launched, Japan has sold just one finished product – a surveillance radar – to the Philippines. It first gave away five used TC-90 training aircraft along with pilot training and 40,000 items of parts for UH-1H multipurpose helicopters.
In 2016, a possible breakthrough sale of Soryu-class submarine technology fell through when Australia chose France to develop 12 diesel submarines. That USD65 billion contract recently was scuttled when Australia switched to nuclear submarines under the AUKUS pact with Britain and the US.
Negotiations to sell about a dozen US-2 ShinMaywa Industries sea planes to India have been held up by pricing disagreements. Japan’s attempts to export a radar to Thailand and frigates to Indonesia also ended unsuccessfully.
As a latecomer, Japan lacks the marketing and technology transfer expertise of the US, with its FMS programme, and other major exporters.
“Japan needs to be more competitive, more assertive and also be more willing to engage with customers in the marketing and promotion of defense platforms,” principal of Indo-Pacific research and analysis at the Janes Jon Grevatt told a recent online event.
The government and the industry haven’t entirely given up. Japan is developing its own long-range surface-to-air cruise missile, and as China’s military buildup now extends to cyberspace and outer space, the Defence Ministry has begun pushing for research and development of artificial intelligence-operated autonomous vehicles, supersonic flight and other “game-changing” technologies.
Experts said Japan should accelerate work on drones, satellite constellations and technology against electronic attacks. To fund such research, the ministry requested a record JPY291 billion (USD2.55 billion) budget for the year beginning in April 2022, up 38 per cent from this year.
Japan is also pursuing joint development of its next-generation F-X fighter jet with the US and Britain to replace its ageing fleet of F-2s by around 2035. Japan and Britain recently announced plans to jointly develop a future fighter aircraft engine demonstrator and to explore work on other air combat technologies and subsystems. The project includes Japan’s Mitsubishi and IHI and Rolls-Royce and BAE Systems in the United Kingdom (UK).
It’s a race against time as defence contractors drop out.
Japan Business Federation Senior Manager for the Defence Industry Yu Yamada said it has 60-plus member companies with defence-related operations, down by about 10 in recent years.
Komatsu Ltd, a leading construction equipment manufacturer, stopped developing and making armoured vehicles after upgrades failed to meet Defence Ministry requirements. Komatsu, once the seventh largest supplier, now only maintains existing fleets it supplied. It still makes ammunition.
In March, Mitsui E&S Shipbuilding Co sold its warship unit to Japan’s top contractor Mitsubishi. Daicel Corp, a major electronic and chemical material maker and supplier of warplane ejection seats, is dropping its unprofitable defense business to put resources elsewhere.
Sumitomo Heavy Industries stopped making 5.56-millimetre machine guns, citing a bleak long-term outlook.
If the trend continues, both the military and the defence industry could face supply problems, higher costs or quality concerns, Yamada said. “Supply chains cannot be reconstructed in just one to two years. The industry is facing a rather difficult situation,” he said.
In an emailed statement, the Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency acknowledged that keeping a domestic defence industry base was “a challenge” as companies withdraw.
“We must ensure businesses are succeeded smoothly so that the technology of key suppliers won’t be lost in case of withdrawals.”
LONDON (AFP) – Manchester City defender Joao Cancelo said he suffered facial injuries when he was assaulted by a gang of burglars who “tried to hurt” his family.
The Portugal international posted a picture on Instagram on Thursday evening, which showed a cut above his right eye.
The 27-year-old full-back did not say where the attack took place, but City said in a statement it was during a burglary at the player’s home.
“Unfortunately today I was assaulted by four cowards who hurt me and tried to hurt my family,” Cancelo posted.
“When you show resistance, this is what happens. They managed to take all my jewellery and leave me with my face with this state.”
Cancelo added: “I don’t know how there are people with such meanness.
Joao Cancelo posted the Instagram Story on Thursday evening. PHOTO: @JPCANCELO
“The most important thing for me is my family and luckily they are all OK.
“After so many obstacles in my life this is just one more that I will overcome. Firm and strong, like always.”
Cancelo, who joined City from Juventus in August 2019, is widely considered to have been one of the best players for Pep Guardiola’s Premier League leaders this season.
As an 18-year-old, the Portuguese player was a passenger in a car accident that killed his mother.
A Manchester City statement read: “We are shocked and appalled that Joao Cancelo and his family were subjected to a burglary at their home this evening during which Joao was also assaulted.
“Joao and his family are being supported by the club and he is helping the police with their enquiries as they investigate this very serious matter.”
THE WASHINGTON POST – My rental car shook violently as it slowly crept down the bumpy dirt road along the southwestern tip of Puerto Rico. When the road ended, I set out on foot up a dirt path that led to the gray-and-white Los Morrillos lighthouse, built on the edge of a cliff in 1882. The windows and doorways were the same shade of turquoise as the water crashing into the rust-red sandstone cliffs below.
The lighthouse was my first stop along Puerto Rico’s west coast in early November. After spending a few days of my first trip to the island exploring Old San Juan and nearby tourist sites, I fled the cruise-ship crowds and congested highways for the remote west coast’s narrow two-lane roads and secluded beaches.
My goal was to explore this less-crowded part of the island, known for surfing, hilly terrain and an endless surplus of sunny, 80-degree days. Learning to surf was another priority, but rough seas with waves too big for my novice skill level crushed those plans. Instead of a surfing trip, this would become a relaxing 10-day beach and hiking trip.
From the eastern side of the lighthouse, I could see stretched out below a pristine, crescent-shaped beach that belonged in a Jimmy Buffett song. I walked across the undeveloped, tree-lined beach and followed a trail up another set of cliffs to photograph the lighthouse from across the bay.
Then, I couldn’t resist a dip in the water to cool off. Even though a dozen people were on the beach, it still felt isolated. It was only Day 1, and I had already found my favourite beach in western Puerto Rico: La Playuela.
ABOVE & BELOW: Crash Boat Beach in Aguadilla has a party beach vibe; and the picturesque Los Morrillos lighthouse. PHOTOS: THE WASHINGTON POST
Domes Beach, named after a defunct, dome-shaped nuclear facility that dominates the skyline, is a popular
surfing spot in Rincón
After another bone-rattling drive, I stopped at the Cabo Rojo Salt Flats and walked along the catwalks between reddish-pink salt ponds. The 1,249-acre area was added to the Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge in 1999 and includes trails for biking and hiking around the two main lagoons, Fraternidad and Candelaria.
A private operator harvests the salt, which is left behind when the water evaporates from exposure to the sun, wind and heat. The lagoons are home to a variety of microorganisms, including Dunaliella salina, an alga responsible for the red hue.
This alga is a critical food source for brine shrimp and other salt-tolerant species, which attract migratory shorebirds. The salt flats, with their prevalence of food, are one of the most important stopover points for these birds in the entire Caribbean. Cabo Rojo’s lucrative salt-collection business has resulted in several historical conflicts, according to Roman.
There have been numerous ownership and exploitation issues involving not only the Spanish, who colonised the island after the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1493, but also the British and Dutch, among others. In 1769, a bloody fight broke out between local communities over land ownership of the salt flats, leading the area to be named El Combate, which translates to “the battle”.
For another history lesson, I visited the sleepy town of San Germán, the second-oldest city on the island, after San Juan, known for its well-preserved colonial Creole architecture.
Founded on the coast in 1511, it was moved inland to avoid plundering pirates in 1573 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
After a morning of exploring, I drove about 13 miles to Joyuda, a three-mile strip of seaside seafood restaurants known as the Gourmet Golden Mile, for lunch. I snagged a table on the shaded waterfront patio at Náutica by Poly’s and ordered a delicious conch mofongo relleno, fried mashed plantains stuffed with conch and served in a tomato-based sauce. By the time I finished my meal, there wasn’t an empty seat on the patio, and the hum of both English and Spanish conversations filled the air.
The ocean got rougher as I headed north to Rincón, where the Caribbean Sea meets the Atlantic. The surfing haven covers about eight miles of coastline and skyrocketed to fame after hosting the 1968 World Surfing Championships, which earned it a mention in a Beach Boys song.
Because winter is peak surfing season, I watched experienced surfers ride large waves at Domes Beach, named after a defunct, dome-shaped nuclear facility that dominates the skyline. Like many of Rincón’s beaches, Domes is a small, secluded, palm-tree-lined strip of golden sand stretched between cliffs and rocky outcroppings. One of the few exceptions is the seemingly endless Sandy Beach, which is bordered by rows of hotels and restaurants.
Another highlight was the Tres Palmas Marine Reserve, home to the endangered reef-building elkhorn coral, as well as colourful marine life including parrotfish and blue tangs. The reserve encompasses three beaches and is an excellent snorkeling spot during the summer, when the water is calmer. The most photogenic of the three beaches is Steps, known for a mysterious set of concrete stairs sitting at the edge of the beach.
The beaches weren’t the only thing worth visiting in Rincón; fish tacos at Jack’s Shack and Sunday brunch at the English Rose were also pluses.
Despite congested parking lots, the Rincón beaches never felt crowded. That changed when I drove about 14 miles north to Aguadilla’s Crash Boat Beach, famous for a uniquely shaped blue pier once used to dock rescue boats that were sent out to save downed pilots from the nearby US air base.
The farther north I went, the rougher the water got; a riptide warning kept me out of the ocean for the rest of my trip. I decided to hike from Surfer’s Beach to Survival Beach, a sliver of shoreline accessible only by foot. I started my hike at the Surfer’s Beach parking lot and meandered through the tropical forest along a makeshift trail that spider-webbed in all directions, staying on the path that hugged the coast. I shared the trail with a retired New England couple who moved to the island to perpetually escape winter.
Then I entered the forest again and climbed upward along a tree-root-lined path until I caught a bird’s-eye view of the windswept sands of Survival Beach. Despite trying numerous trails, the tide prevented me from reaching it.
Regardless, these beachside trails and secluded coves became one of my favourite aspects of Puerto Rico.
After the hike, I treated myself to the mango salad at Ola Lola’s Tiki Bar & Grille, a mint-green, open-air eatery on a narrow, tree-shaded road that became my regular lunch spot.
On my last morning in Puerto Rico, I went for an hour-long sunrise walk on the beach in Isabela. Aside from a lone jogger’s, my footprints were the only ones in the sand as I walked along the water’s edge, past towering hotels that soon faded into trees.
The gently sloping shore was one of the most expansive beaches I had visited, wider than many roads.
I would like to appeal to the authorities to consider extending contracts of foreign investors, who are investing BND20-30 million in the country, beyond the two-year period.
These investors should not be in the same category as ordinary foreign workers as they are pumping money into projects that benefit the local economy.
With businesses dwindling during these hard times, taxation should be reduced, especially building tax. However, building owners are still receiving letters from agencies asking them to pay their dues.
LONDON (AFP) – Santander’s United Kingdom (UK) bank on Thursday was seeking to recover GBP130 million (USD175 million) it paid out on Christmas Day by mistake.
Due to a “technical issue”, 75,000 payments by some 2,000 corporate and commercial account holders were made twice to their recipients, the bank said in a statement sent to AFP, confirming a report in The Times. The duplicated transactions made on Christmas morning came from the bank’s own reserves, meaning that none of the clients were left out of pocket, the bank said.
It added that it “will be working hard with many banks across the UK to recover the duplicated transactions over the coming days”.
The bank said the payments could have included wages and payments to suppliers.
The Times reported that the payments were made to accounts in numerous UK banks, which are now being asked by Santander to recover the money.
One bank told the newspaper that it would be reluctant to recover the funds if the account holder had already spent the unexpected windfall and this would tip them into overdraft.
Santander said that it also had “processes in place as a bank to seek recovery of those funds directly from recipients”. The bank said the error was caused by a scheduling issue which “we quickly identified and rectified”.
The British high street wing of Santander has 14 million account holders and made a net profit of more than GBP1 billion in the first three quarters of 2021.
LONDON (AFP) – Southampton’s home match against Newcastle tomorrow is the latest Premier League fixture to be called off after a coronavirus outbreak in the visitors’ camp.
“Sunday’s Premier League clash between Southampton and Newcastle United at St Mary’s Stadium has been postponed due to ongoing COVID-19 cases and injuries amongst the Magpies’ first-team squad,” said a Newcastle statement.
The Premier League said it had accepted the request to postpone the match because Newcastle did not have the required number of players available (13 outfield players and one goalkeeper).
SYDNEY (AP) – New coronavirus infections soared again in Australia yesterday to a record of more than 32,000, just days after surpassing 10,000 for the first time.
Experts say the explosion is being driven by the highly contagious Omicron variant and a recent relaxation of restrictions in Sydney and other areas.
More than 15,000 of the new cases were reported in Sydney. Another 5,000 cases came from elsewhere in New South Wales state, while almost 6,000 were confirmed in Victoria state, home to the second largest city of Melbourne.
Health care workers administer COVID-19 tests at a drive-through clinic in Sydney, Friday. (AAP Image via AP)
While hospitalisations and deaths have been increasing from the surge, so far they haven’t reached comparative levels seen in previous outbreaks.
And many cities went ahead with New Year’s Eve celebrations, including the famous fireworks display from the Sydney Harbor Bridge and Sydney Opera House.
Authorities were expecting far smaller crowds than in pre-pandemic years, when as many as one million revellers would crowd inner Sydney. Prime Minister Scott Morrison remained upbeat despite the rising virus numbers and the many natural challenges the nation has recently faced.
“Despite the pandemic, despite the floods, the fires, continuing drought in some areas, the cyclones, the lockdowns, even mice plagues, Australia is stronger today than we were a year ago. And we’re safer,” Morrison said in a New Year’s Eve message.
“We have one of the lowest death rates and the highest vaccination rates from COVID anywhere in the world,” he said.
In New South Wales state, officials reported six new deaths while 763 patients were hospitalised, including 69 in intensive care.
The state hasn’t been able to keep up with demand for tests, leaving people to wait for hours.
But state Premier Dominic Perrottet said the health system was coping overall.
“While the case numbers are substantially increasing, compared to where we were with the delta variant, our position remains incredibly strong,” he said.
“Our number one priority here in New South Wales is to keep our people safe and that will continue to be our priority as we move through this next phase.”
MANILA (CNA) – The Philippine death toll from Typhoon Rai has crossed the 400 mark, the disaster agency said yesterday, as officials in some hard-hit provinces appealed for more supplies of food, water and shelter materials about two weeks after the storm struck.
Rai was the 15th and deadliest typhoon to hit the Southeast Asian nation this year. Reported deaths had reached 405, mostly due to drowning, fallen trees and landslides, National Disaster Agency Chief Ricardo Jalad, told a news conference. He said 82 were missing and 1,147 injured.
More than 530,000 houses were damaged, a third of which were totally wrecked, while damage to infrastructure and agriculture was estimated at PHP23.4 billion (USD459 million), Jalad said.
The typhoon affected nearly 4.5 million people, including about 500,000 sheltering in evacuation centres, government data showed. It made landfall as a category 5 typhoon on December 16, and left a trail of destruction in the provinces of Bohol, Cebu, and Surigao del Norte, including the holiday island of Siargao, and the Dinagat Islands.
In central Philippine provinces, disaster and government officials have been grappling with inadequate relief supplies for thousands of residents still without power and water.
“Our problem is shelter, those who lost roofs, especially now that this is rainy season in the province,” Surigao del Norte Governor Francisco Matugas told ANC news channel.
Rai’s swath of destruction revived memories of typhoon Haiyan, one of the most powerful tropical cyclones ever recorded, which killed 6,300 people in the Philippines in 2013.
A family takes shelter after losing their home to Typhoon Rai. PHOTO: AFP
THE WASHINGTON POST – I had a lot of babysitters before I turned 12, women who would watch me and my brother after school, and sometimes make us dinner when my parents had to work late. Lina, who was born in Manila, was one of my favourites. Among other things, she instilled in me a love for the salty, lightly spiced tang of adobo.
Lina’s kitchen was tight, so when she started making dinner, I’d lean over the white Formica breakfast bar and watch her rummage through her crisper drawers and pantry, lining ingredients up between the sink and stove. Almost every meal would start with an onion, which she’d pass to me to peel as she started to prep. “Every person is an onion,” she’d sometimes say, “full of hidden layers”.
Like a ballerina, Lina transitioned swiftly from precise, quick movements to calm efficiency as she cooked. I’d watch her turn on the rice cooker, add rice, oil, salt and water, and set it with a few beeps. Then, she’d put a large pot on an electric burner to start heating up as she sliced the onion into half-moons and opened a package of chicken, usually drumsticks and thighs. They’d get seared in the pot alongside the garlic and onions. Even if I wasn’t watching her, I knew we were having adobo when the smell of vinegar and black peppercorns, heady and alive, hit the hot metal and started to tickle my nose.
Though adobo is a Spanish word, the technique for making Philippine adobo predates the centuries-long Spanish colonisation of and rule over the 7,000-island archipelago. In the Philippines, adobo is both a preparation – the process of marinating and infusing ingredients with vinegar and other flavourings – and the resulting dish. Some versions take more than a day to make; others, like the basic recipe I adapted below, can be on the table in an hour.
There are probably thousands of variations – adobo can be made around any protein or vegetable; it can be wet or dry, sweet or spicy, silky or thick as soft wool – but they are united by the sour, briny punch of vinegar.
Chicken Adobo (above) and Tofu Abodo. PHOTOS: THE WASHINGTON POST
Vinegar was long employed as a preservative in the days before reliable refrigeration, so many cultures developed an affinity for the flavour. But in adobo, vinegar doesn’t sit slyly in the background – it dominates. That said, as with every great dish, a good adobo is all about balance.
“If you taste the sauce right after you add the liquids, it’ll be too tart. Over time, the sauce mellows into something slightly sour yet balanced,” writes chef Nicole Ponseca, in I Am a Filipino: And This Is How We Cook, a cookbook she wrote with Miguel Trinidad and Rachel Wharton.
“Some people add coconut milk; some cooks add a bit of sweetness in the form of sugar, honey, ripe fruit or even preserves to round out the adobo’s sharp acidity and saltiness,” Ponseca writes. “Think of it like you do music: the notes are familiar, but the arrangement is what makes it unique.”
FILIPINO ADOBO
Active time: 20 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
Two to three servings
Filipino adobo, a stew known for its pungency – from vinegar, soy sauce, garlic and peppercorns or chiles – is an incredibly adaptable dish. The proportions of its key ingredients can be added in varying ratios to suit the tastes of the cook, meaning that no two adobos are exactly alike. It’s traditionally made with cane vinegar and light soy sauce; sometimes lime juice or sugar is added, as well.
This version, adapted from The Filipino Cookbook by Miki Garcia and I Am a Filipino by Nicole Ponseca and Miguel Trinidad, uses onions for a touch of sweetness and can be made with either chicken or tofu. If you have time, you can marinate the protein overnight, but it’s not necessary.
If adobo is unfamiliar to you, make this recipe as written before playing around with it. Here are a few suggested variations:
Instead of chicken or tofu, you can use an equal weight of meat, cut into one-inch cubes. You also can use a whole cauliflower, cut into eight roughly equal chunks – or combine two of these options in one pot.
The onion isn’t as crucial as the garlic; so skip it if you must. If you enjoy garlic, use more than the recipe suggests.
Cane vinegar or coconut vinegar are traditional here; but white or rice vinegar work, too. In addition to the onions and garlic, you could add: sliced mushrooms, chopped tomatoes or slices of fresh sweet or hot peppers.
To spice things up, consider adding: more peppercorns, a cinnamon stick, a star anise pod and/or a couple of cloves.
If using tofu, there’s no need to season it with salt before searing.
If you don’t have cane vinegar, use white or rice vinegar plus two teaspoons of brown sugar. Instead of soy sauce, you can use liquid aminos. If using coconut aminos, which are sweeter, add half teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt, or more to taste.
Storage Notes: Leftovers can be refrigerated in a covered container for up to four days.
INGREDIENTS
– 1.5 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and/or legs patted dry, or 14 ounces extra-firm tofu, drained, pressed, cut into four or five thick slices and patted dry
– A quarter teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt (optional)
– Two tablespoons coconut oil or vegetable oil
– One small yellow onion (4 ounces) sliced
– Five cloves garlic, lightly smashed
– Half cup cane vinegar
– Half cup light or low-sodium soy sauce
– Water, as needed
– One teaspoon black peppercorn
– Three bay leaves
– Steamed white rice, for serving
DIRECTIONS
If using chicken, season it with the salt. In a large, lidded pot or Dutch oven over high heat, heat the oil until you see a few wisps of smoke. Using tongs, transfer the protein – if using chicken, skin side down – into the pot. Cook, undisturbed, until the protein has browned and the chicken skin has rendered some of its fat, three to four minutes. Turn the pieces over, and reduce the heat to low.
Add the onion and garlic, and allow the garlic to slightly brown, about two minutes (the onions may not be browned at this point, and that is fine). Add the vinegar, soy sauce, 1/2 cup water, peppercorns and bay leaves, taking care as the liquid may sputter. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil before lowering the heat to maintain a steady but gentle simmer.
Cover and cook, stirring and turning proteins over once or twice, until the chicken is cooked through or the tofu has taken on the dark colour of the sauce, 30 to 40 minutes. If the liquid appears to be evaporating during cooking, add water, 1/2 cup at a time, to compensate. The finished sauce should be thin but pungent.
Taste, and adjust the seasonings, if desired; discard the bay leaves. Spoon some rice into plates or shallow bowls and divide the stew, sauce, any rendered chicken fat and peppercorns among each dish before serving.
