Total Time: A Day Or
More
Skill Level: Easy
The overnight marination
is essential to the moistness of
the finished product: The
chicken keeps and even improves
over several days of
refrigeration; it travels well
and makes excellent picnic fare.
Yield : 16 pieces, 10 or
more portions
Since Chicken Marbella is
such a spectacular party dish,
we give quantities to serve 10
or 12, but the recipe can
successfully be divided to
make a smaller amount if you
wish.
Ingredients
½ cup olive oil
½ cup red wine vinegar
1 cup pitted prunes
½ cup pitted Spanish green
olives
½ cup capers with a bit of
juice
6 bay leaves
1 head of garlic, peeled and
finely pureed
¼ cup dried oregano
Coarse salt and freshly ground
black pepper, to taste
4 chickens (2½ pounds each),
quartered
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup dry white wine
¼ cup fresh Italian (flat-leaf)
parsley or fresh cilantro,
finely chopped
Directions
1. Combine the olive
oil, vinegar, prunes, olives,
capers and juice, bay leaves,
garlic, oregano, and salt and
pepper in a large bowl. Add the
chicken and stir to coat. Cover
the bowl and refrigerate
overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to
350°F.
3. Arrange the chicken
in a single layer in one or two
large, shallow baking pans and
spoon the marinade over it
evenly. Sprinkle the chicken
pieces with the brown sugar and
pour the white wine around them.
4. Bake, basting
frequently with the pan juices,
until the thigh pieces yield
clear yellow (rather than pink)
juice when pricked with a fork,
50 minutes to 1 hour.
5. With a slotted spoon,
transfer the chicken, prunes,
olives, and capers to a serving
platter. Moisten with a few
spoonfuls of the pan juices and
sprinkle generously with the
parsley or cilantro. Pass the
remaining pan juices in a
sauceboat.
Notes
To serve Chicken
Marbella cold, cool to room
temperature in the cooking
juices before transferring the
pieces to a serving platter. If
the chicken has been covered and
refrigerated, reheat it in the
juices, then allow it to come to
room temperature before serving.
Spoon some of the reserved juice
over the chicken.ved juice over
the chicken.
