It is Chicken Marbella but I made it easy. I loved the flavors that this Chicken Marbella recipe promised, but hated the complexity and the quantity! Originally made with 4 chickens and a long complicated process, I changed it all and created this wonderful interpretation.
Tip : The Browning Sauce is a cinch to make, but it really is essential to how the dish looks.
Ingredients
- 2 whole chicken thighs bone out
- 1 whole chicken breast half skin on bone in, cut into 3 pieces
- kosher salt to taste
Marinade
- 1/2 cup pitted prunes cut in half
- 1/4 cup currants or raisins
- 1/4 cup capers plus 1 tablespoon brine
- 1/2 cup large green olives
- 1/4 cup sherry vinegar
- 4 cloves garlic peeled and smashed
- 2 whole bay leaves
- 1 tbsp dried oregano flakes
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Sauce
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 2 tbsp Browning Sauce
Garnish
- 4-5 sprigs parsley leaves
Instructions
- Gather all ingredients before starting recipe.
- Add prunes and black currants to a small bowl, barely cover with hot tap water and set aside to re-hydrate for up to 2 hours.
Marinade
- Add all marinade ingredients to a plastic bag, mix with your hand to combine contents of bag.
- Season chicken on both sides and add chicken pieces to the marinade. Message chicken to cover all surfaces, squeeze the air out of the bag and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
- An hour before cooking, remove chicken from marinade to a plate and pat both sides of the chicken dry with a paper towel.
Cooking Chicken
- Spray a skillet with vegetable spray and heat over medium high heat. When the pan is hot, add chicken pieces, skin side down and sear for 5-8 minutes, or until the skin is a nice golden color.
- Flip the chicken so it's skin side up, and reduce heat to medium. Cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Reduce heat to low to keep warm.
Sauce
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium sauté pan over medium high heat. When the oil is shimmering, about one minute, add the marinade to the pan and stir for a minute or two until the juices have reduced slightly.
- Add the white wine and bring to a boil and cook until reduced by half. Add the chicken stock, bring back to a boil then reduce heat to a slow simmer, cover with a lid and cook for 10-15 minutes or until the fruit has become soft. Stir in 1-2 tablespoons of the browning sauce and one tablespoon of butter and stir to combine. Set aside and keep warm until ready to serve.
Serving
- Place a small mound of the fruit and olive mixture in the center of a serving plate, top with chicken pieces and drizzle all with the pan juices.
- Sprinkle with chopped parsley, and serve.
