Chicken Marbella

March 31, 2021

The best thing about this classic from the 1982 Silver Palate Cookbook, is that it’s great hot, or cold for a picnic. Chicken pieces are cooked in vinegar, wine, brown sugar, capers, olives, prunes, garlic and oregano. Use whatever chicken pieces you like best, but some with skin on is best. Perfect for holiday weekends.

Ingredients

1/2 cupolive oil

1/2 cupred wine (or sherry) vinegar

1 cupprunes

1/2 cuppitted Spanish green olives

1/2 cupcapers

6bay leaves

10 clovesgarlic, peeled and finely chopped or pureed

1/4 cupfresh oregano leaves

2 teaspoonskosher salt

freshly ground pepper

6 poundschicken (leg quarters or thighs or 2 chickens, cut up) with skin

1 cupwhite wine

1 cupbrown sugar

2green onions, chopped

2 tablespoonschopped fresh parsley

Preparation

In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, vinegar, prunes, olives, capers and juice, bay leaves, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Add the chicken pieces and turn to coat. Refrigerate overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Arrange the chicken in a single layer in a shallow roasting pan; spoon the marinade over it evenly. Pour in the wine and sprinkle the chicken with the brown sugar.
Bake until the thigh pieces yield clear yellow juice when pricked with a fork, 50 to 60 minutes, basting two or three times with the pan juices once the chicken begins to brown. (When basting, do not brush off the sugar. If the chicken browns too quickly, cover lightly with foil.)
Transfer the chicken pieces to a warm serving platter and top with the prunes, olives and capers; keep warm. Place the roasting pan over medium heat and bring the pan juices to a boil. Reduce to about 1/2 cup. Strain into a heatproof bowl, add the parsley and pour over the chicken.