Adobong Pusit
Filipino adobong pusit with squid, soy, vinegar, garlic, and squid ink—quick-cooked so the squid stays tender.
Serves 4 · 40m total
The Story
Adobong pusit is adobo with a different clock. Pork can simmer for an hour. Squid turns rubbery if you blink. The sauce still has soy, vinegar, garlic, and bay, but the ink is what makes the pot look black-brown and taste like the wet market at 6 a.m.
Clean the squid well, keep the ink sacs if you have them, and cook hot and short. The sauce should coat the rings, not drown them like a stew.
This is weeknight ulam when someone brought pusit from the palengke: rice, maybe a fried egg, and a little extra vinegar at the table.
Best paired with
Steamed rice, fried egg, and sliced tomato.
Use it in these KusinaPH recipes
Lola's Tips
- ✦Do not simmer squid for 30 minutes—it gets squeaky.
- ✦If you have ink sacs, add them with the sauce for the classic dark color.
- ✦Let vinegar boil once before stirring so it mellows.
- ✦Score the bodies so they curl and cook evenly.
Substitutions
- squid → small cuttlefish, same timing
- cane vinegar → white vinegar
- squid ink → skip; the sauce will be brown, not black
Ingredients
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Instructions
- 1
Pat squid dry. Heat oil in a wide pan over medium-high heat. Saute garlic and onion 1 minute until fragrant.
- 2
Add tomato. Cook 2 minutes until soft. Add squid and toss 1 minute until it just turns opaque.
- 3
Pour in soy sauce, vinegar, water, bay leaves, and pepper. Let the vinegar boil 30 seconds without stirring.
- 4
Stir, then simmer 4 to 6 minutes until the squid is just tender and the sauce looks glossy and dark. Do not overcook.
- 5
Taste: it should be salty-sour. Add a splash of vinegar or soy if needed. Serve at once with rice.
Kitchen Timer · 20 min prep first
20:00
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