Chicken Marbella

Inspired by French cooking, it combines savory herbs with the brininess of olives and the sweetness of fruit to provide a delectable explosion in your mouth! This is a beautiful addition to your rotation for a weekend dinner, perfect for a a dinner party or a holiday get-together! After the first time I made this, we have this at least once every six weeks. However, be advised you'll need to do an overnight marinade on this one, so you'll need to plan ahead. Note - this recipe came originally from “The Silver Palate Cookbook” by Sheila Lukins and Julee Rosso - but I've made my own modifications to tweak to our liking (including eliminating the sugar, as I personally prefer more savory food). 

Time: Overnight Marinade; 1 + 1/2 hours cooking 

Ingredients (Marinade) 

• 3 bay leaves
• 6 garlic cloves, minced 
• 2 Tbsp dried oregano, or 6 sprigs fresh oregano chopped 
• 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt 
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• ½ cup EVOO 
• ½ cup red wine vinegar
• ½ cup dried prunes (or dates, or apricots) - you can adjust to your liking, up to doubling it 
• roughly ½ cup pitted green olives, halved 
• roughly ½ cup capers (leave a bit of the brine in it) 
• 4 bone-in Chicken Breasts OR 6 bone-in Chicken Thighs, or a Whole Chicken quartered (about 3-4 lbs) 

​Ingredients (Cooking) 

• 1 cup dry white wine
• (optional) 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preparation: 

1. Overnight Marinade: Combine all the ingredients in the Marinade section and lightly thick to combine. Place the chicken in a baking dish (such as a Pyrex) and mix with the marinade (see picture below); cover and leave in the refrigerator overnight.
2. When Cooking the Next Day: Pre-Heat the oven to 350 degrees. (This is an optional step but one I think makes a huge difference) - In an oven safe pan (or a separate pan), heat 2 Tbsp EVOO over medium-high heat. Remove only the chicken from the marinade and brown it until golden brown on each side (about 3 minutes on each side), remove to a platter. 
3. Turn off heat on the stove. Add in 1 cup dry white wine and quickly deglaze the pan, scraping up the brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken back in, and all the liquids and solids from the marinade (you'll want to make sure the olives, prunes and capers are for the most part in the liquid). If using the brown sugar (which I don't), sprinkle the chicken with it now. 
4. Place in the oven and bake for about 40-50 minutes (assuming bone-in chicken pieces, if using boneless chicken pieces, should be 20-30 minutes). Baste every 15 minutes. See photo below for finished product (still int he pan)! 
5. Remove, serve with rice and with parsley sprinkled on top. 

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