More than 25 years ago, Chicken Marbella was the signature dish of the famous Silver Palate gourmet shop in Manhattan and the cookbook it later inspired. And it’s no wonder this chicken dish caught fire — marinated in a pungent mix of capers, olives and prunes, it boasted big and, for the era, unusual flavors.
That said, we felt it was time for some modern improvements. Instead of a marinade, we made a paste. After browning the chicken, we caramelized a portion of the paste in the skillet to bloom its complex flavors.
After deglazing the skillet with wine and pouring the sauce around the chicken, we transferred everything to the oven. Using a skillet with low, flared sides allowed more steam to escape, resulting in a concentrated sauce.
Once the chicken was half-cooked and the skin well rendered and browned, we added the remainder of the paste to coat the chicken. Last-minute additions of butter, vinegar, and parsley pulled everything together.
CHICKEN MARBELLA
Servings: 4-6
Start to finish: 1 hour, 15 minutes
For the paste:
1/3 cup pitted green olives, rinsed
1/3 cup pitted prunes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
3 anchovy fillets, rinsed
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Pinch red pepper flakes
For the chicken:
2 1/2-3 pounds bone-in, skin-on split chicken breasts and/or leg quarters, trimmed
Kosher salt and pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup white wine
1/3 cup pitted green olives, rinsed and halved
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed
2 bay leaves
1/3 cup pitted prunes, chopped coarse
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons minced
Fresh parsley
Nutrition information per serving: 424 calories; 236 calories from fat; 26 g fat (9 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 132 mg cholesterol; 906 mg sodium; 15 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 8 g sugar; 29 g protein.
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