Chicken Marbella, a braised chicken dish with prunes and olives, is one of those classic recipes that has seemed to have done the rounds for years, albeit different versions of it. It originated (I think) at The Silver Palate, a culinary-ground-breaking-at-the-time New York deli that opened in the eighties and released several cookbooks thereafter. Chicken Marbella is the perfect dish for entertaining - most of the prep can be done beforehand, and it looks and tastes much more impressive than the effort taken to make it. Most importantly everyone seems to love it.
Thighs are the nicest cut to use - bone in or out as you prefer. The sauce is a delicious mix of sweet and sour and salty. I like to serve it with little roast potatoes or potatoes dauphinoise and a lightly dressed green salad - the sauce from the chicken on your plate coats the salad greens nicely.
Chicken Marbella
8-10 chicken thighs
4 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1/4c dried oregano
1/2 c red wine vinegar
1/2 c olive oil
1 c prunes
1 c olives
1/2 c capers, and a little of their juice
6 bay leaves
1/2 c brown sugar
1 c white wine
1/4 c chopped Italian parsley
Marinate chicken overnight in the first 8 ingredients. Arrange in a single layer in a roasting dish and sprinkle with brown sugar. Pour wine around the chicken and bake for 50 minutes or so, basting with the juices every now and then. Once cooked, strain off liquid into a small saucepan and cover the chicken etc with foil. Remove extra fat from the liquid with a ladle or mop it up with strips of paper towel gently laid over the surface of the sauce. Boil it hard for a few minutes to reduce down and thicken with a little arrowroot. Pour over chicken and sprinkle over parsley.
Looks absolutely wonderful! I live in Marbella in Spain - have you ever been here? We could add this to our local web site if you are agreeable? Best wishes - Fenton
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