Chicken Marbella

From “The Silver Palate Cookbook 25th Anniversary Edition” (Workman, 2007). Overnight marinating is key to keeping the chicken moist. You can halve the recipe, or make it with all legs and thighs.

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup pitted prunes
1/2 cup pitted Spanish green olives
1/2 cup capers with a bit of juice
6 bay leaves
1 head of garlic, peeled and finely pureed
1/4 cup dried oregano
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 chickens (2 1/2 pounds each), quartered
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup Italian (flat-leaf) parsley or cilantro, finely chopped

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 and refrigerate overnight.

PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees. Arrange chicken in a single layer in one or two large, shallow baking pans and spoon the marinade over it evenly. Sprinkle chicken pieces with the brown sugar and pour the white wine around them.

BAKE, basting frequently with the pan juices, for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the thigh pieces yield clear yellow juices (rather than pink) when pricked.

With a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken, prunes, olives and capers to a serving platter. Moisten with some of the pan juices, sprinkle with parsley or cilantro and serve with the remaining juices on the side.

NOTE: To serve cold, cool to room temperature in the cooking juices, then transfer to a platter, cover and refrigerate. Reheat the chicken in the cooking juices, then bring to room temperature before serving.