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Chicken Marbella is a Spanish-style chicken dish that is a beautiful and complex balance of salty, sour, and sweet flavors. It’s just as crave-worthy and deceptively easy as it was back in the 80’s.
This classic recipe is a delicious nod to the ‘Silver Palate Cookbook’ from the late Sheila Lukins and Julee Rosso and was the ‘go-to’ dinner party recipe in the 1980s.
It can be enjoyed warm or room temperature, making it perfect for elegant picnics under the stars.
The Silver Palate cookbook was the very first cookbook I ever bought, and still own and use it to this day. Every home cook should own a copy of this wonderful book. The chicken Marbella recipe is one of many that I have made over and over again.
It’s also the recipe that I made for a special date with the man who would become my husband. He claimed it was the amazing, tender chicken with the fruit that pushed him over the edge. Many years later, it’s still one of his favorites.
I can’t verify the validity of his claim, but I can say that every time I have served this classic recipe, everyone loved it and usually requested the recipe.
Chicken Marbella is a culinary gift given to the world by Sheila Lukins in 1977 when she opened a small, unassuming take-out shop on the Upper East Side of New York City and added this dish to the menu. It was an instant hit.
The recipe really became infamous when together with Julee Russo, she published the recipe in the Silver Palate cookbook.
The recipe was recreated by Yotam Ottolenghi for his cookbook, ‘Simple.’ He used whole chicken legs and replaced the prunes with dates and the brown sugar for molasses.
Ina Garten also reprised the recipe as well. She stuck pretty close to the original, but reduced the brown sugar to 1/4 cup.
Chicken Marbella became a 1980s dinner party staple, especially for Easter, Passover, and Shabbat dinners. It’s still a favorite today!
Olive oil – use a good quality olive oil. (I like this brand.) The oil adds richness and flavor, so taste does matter in this recipe.
Red wine vinegar – adds flavor and acidity to the marinade.
Prunes – buy pitted to make it easier on you! The prunes add a mild, earthy sweetness. They melt a good bit as they cook. You can also chop them so they melt down even more.
Spanish green olives – with or without pimentos. The olives add a salty, briny flavor. You can use them whole, halved, or chopped. I like using some whole, and others cut in half.
Capers – adds a salty pop to the marinade. You’ll need a bit of the juice, too. Capers are an integral part of the recipe and are needed for flavor and umami.
Bay leaves – dried bay leaves add a lovely herbal note to the marinade. Be sure to fish out the bay leaves before serving.
Garlic – I used minced garlic, but the original recipe called for the garlic cloves to be pureed. The garlic adds flavor.
Dried oregano – this provides that ‘Mediterranean’ flavor.
Salt – use your own judgement on the salt because the capers and olives are both salty.
Freshly ground pepper
Whole chickens – cut into quarters or pieces. I like to remove the skin, but you can leave the skin on.
White wine: I like using a buttery chardonnay, but any white wine you enjoy will work in this recipe.
Brown sugar – this is sprinkled on the chicken just before roasting. It gives the chicken a beautiful, burnished color and sweetness to the sauce.
Fresh parsley – for color and garnish.
This recipe is deceptively easy. The marinade is made one day and the chicken is roasted the next. The dish only looks (and tastes) elegant and involved.
A classic recipe with complex and balanced flavors. The sweet, salty, and briny chicken is marinated with prunes, capers, olives, and oregano for a dish that is delicious served hot or room temperature making it perfect for dinner parties, potlucks, or elegant picnics.
In a 2-gallon ziptop bag, pour in the olive oil, red wine vinegar, prunes, olives, capers and the juice, bay leaves, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper.
Close the bag and shake to combine.
Reopen the bag and add the chicken pieces.
Seal the bag and massage the marinade and chicken together until the chicken is coated completely.
Lay the bag flat in the refrigerator an marinade overnight or up to two days. Flip the bag occasionally to ensure all parts of the chicken are fully marinated.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Arrange the chicken in a single layer in a shallow roasting pan.
Pour the marinade around the chicken.
Sprinkle the chicken with brown sugar, making sure it coats all the pieces.
Pour the wine into the roasting pan, avoiding the top of the chicken.
Cover the pan tightly with foil.
Bake for 50 minutes.
Remove the foil, baste the chicken with the pan juices, and bake for another 45-50 minutes, or until the chicken is fork-tender and almost falling from the bone.
Remove the chicken to a serving platter with sides and top with the prunes, olives, and capers.
Spoon some of the marinade over the chicken and tent with foil to keep warm.
Place the roasting pan over medium heat and bring to a full rolling boil.
Allow the sauce to boil and reduce for 5-8 minutes.
Strain into a gravy boat and serve alongside the chicken.
Garnish the chicken with a sprinkle of chopped parsley before serving.