Chicken Adobo

Combine the soy sauce, sugar, garlic, bay leaves and peppercorns in a large bowl. Add the chicken thighs and marinate for 25 minutes or up to 2 hours. Mix twice at regular intervals to marinate thoroughly.

Drain the chicken in a colander over a bowl; reserve the chicken and the marinade, bay leaves and garlic (a few peppercorns are okay). Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Brown the chicken in batches, making sure not to crowd the pan and turning thee pieces often until all sides are brown, 6 to 8 minutes per batch (the peppercorns may adhere to the chicken, which is fine). Watch closely: The sugar in the marinade will cause the chicken to darken quickly so lower the heat if necessary to avoid burning. Remove the browned chicken with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the oil from the Dutch oven. Add the garlic from the marinade and the onions and cook, stirring, until the onions are translucent, about 6 minutes.

Add back the chicken, the strained marinade and the bay leaves. Pour in the broth and vinegar and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and cook uncovered at a medium boil, stirring periodically, until the chicken is cooked through and the liquid begins to thicken to a gravy-like consistency, about 25 minutes. If the sauce has not thickened enough, remove the chicken and set it aside, covered, and continue to reduce the liquid until thickened. Coat the chicken in the sauce and serve with the rice.