CHICKEN MARBELLA

I came late to the slow cooker movement and I have to confess that I almost never leave the house while using this appliance. In part it's my mother's voice telling me not to trust that it won't burn the house down, but it's also because I have a very mischievous fur baby who I fear would look on it as a new plaything. That said, when I find recipes that call for the slow cooker, I generally reject any that call for dirtying another pot or pan for browning or pre-cooking. When I saw this recipe for chicken Marbella  in an issue of Woman's Day, I knew it was for me. There was no need to use any other pot or pan or appliance. The main ingredient was chicken, my protein of choice. It called for capers, green olives, and prunes, all favorites.

Serves 4 (very easily, I might add)
1/3 cup white wine
2 tbs brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
3 tbs red wine vinegar, divided
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
6 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 tbs capers
1/2 cup (6) prunes, pitted (I used the ones in a jar)
1/3 cup pitted green olives (okay, I probably used 1/2 cup)
8 skinless chicken legs (avout 2 1/2-3 lbs total)
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 cup long grain white rice
* MY ADDITION:  I removed about 1/2 cup of the liquid, added a bit of cornstarch to make a slurry, and stirred it back into the pot to thicken the liquid a bit.

In a 5 to 6 quart slow cookerm whisk together the white wine, brown sugar, oregano, 2 tbs red wine vinegar, and 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper. Add the garlic, capers, prunes, and olives and mix to combine.

Add the chicken legs, cover, and cook on high for 3 hours. Gently stir in the remaining vinegar and parsley and, if you like, add the slurry (see "My Addition" above)

Thirty minutes before serving, prepare the white rice according to package instructions. Serve the chicken and its sauce over the rice.
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TASTE NOTES
We really enjoyed this fragrant, fall off the bone chicken. The prunes add a rich sweetness that plays well against the vinegar, green olives, and capers. You can detect, ever-so-faintly, the brown sugar in the sauce. I love dark meat and will be making this dish again very soon, probably with legs and thighs. As easy as the dish is, I would definitely serve it to company. On a beautiful platter with a thickened sauce, it would make a lovely presentation. If you dislike prunes, which are classic Marbella, you could substitute dried apricots or nectarines.