recipelink.com Chat Room Recipe Swap - 2001-02-18
From: calliope,.NY

CHICKEN MARBELLA...with my ideas!

You could do this with chicken tenders instead and add a cup of chicken stock to the cooking liquid. After marinating, simmer it altogether in a frying pan till the tenders are just done, remove them to a plate and simmer the sauce till its reduced a bit. ...
But it is considerably better using whole breasts or parts.
NOTE...leftover sauce is great over pasta, even after chicken is gone...if you have any!

Ingredients:
6 chicken breast halves
with skin and bone...you could use thighs too or instead.
6-8 cloves of garlic, minced
1 Tbsp dried oregano...use fresh if possible, if so, more
Coarse salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup olive oil
1-large yellow onion, chopped
1 cup pitted prunes, chopped fairly well...or maybe, try plums
figs or dates
1 glass jar large, pitted Spanish green olives, sliced in half
2 Tbsp. capers
3 bay leaves
1/4 or more cup brown sugar ...
*or just use all the syrup from the jar of prunes.*
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup Italian parsley finely chopped
Lemon wedges for garnish and use

Rinse and pat dry the chicken. Scatter the chopped onions in the bottom of a large rectangular baking dish and place the chicken on top.
In a large bowl combine garlic, oregano, pepper
and coarse salt to taste, vinegar, olive oil, prunes, olives, capers and
the bay leaves. Pour the mixture over the chicken and onions, cover and let marinate, refrigerated, overnight. Turn them at least once during marinatting time.
Next day remove the dish from the ‘fridge and allow to come to room temp.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Sprinkle chicken pieces with
brown sugar or prune juice and pour white wine around them.
4. Bake for
one hour, covered with foil
Chicken is done when
thigh pieces, pricked with a fork
at their thickest, yield clear yellow
(rather than pink) juice or reaches 185 degrees.
5. With a slotted spoon
transfer chicken and olives
to a serving platter.
Moisten with a few spoonfuls of
pan juices and sprinkle generously with parsley. Pass remaining
juices in a sauceboat to be poured over after people have “dissected” the meat from the bones and serve with lemon wedges.

I would serve this chicken warm, with a warm couscous salad with artichoke hearts,...or risotto made with sage, basil and parsley, red onion and artichoke hearts. Also try a salad made of paper-thin slices of red onion and green beans or peas and a mint, lemon and olive oil dressing. Or try a tomato and onion salad with goat cheese slices and a mustardy vinaigrette...or a salad with pears and either Gorgonzola or feta on a bed of greens with grapes, onion and a lemon, mustard vinaigrette.
Maybe some lemon-buttered carrots instead of the beans....or pureed butternut or acorn squash with lemon, butter and a touch of brown sugar.

Make a light fruit based dessert...perhaps a frozen lemon pie in a gingersnap crust.