In a medium bowl, create the marinade by stirring together the soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, peppercorns, brown sugar, crushed red pepper, and bay leaves.
Place the chicken in the bowl and marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour (and up to overnight).
After marinating, place the chicken and marinade plus 1 cup of water in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
Uncover the pot, carefully remove the chicken with thongs, and place it on a plate. Turn up the heat on the pot and boil the liquid until reduced by half.