Chicken Marbella

When it comes to a weeknight meal most people think chicken.  It?s not terribly expensive, it’s readily available, easy to prepare and almost all of us have about a half-dozen chicken recipes we?ve been preparing or eating most of our lives. 

However, if you’re like me, I get tired of my same old chicken recipes.  I’m always scouring around for new ideas and recipes for preparing chicken.  And although I do have quite a few in my chicken recipe repertoire, I absolutely adore this Chicken Marbella recipe.

This is a classic marinated chicken recipe that’s been around for quite a while.  I believe the original recipe came from the Silver Palate, however, over the years I?ve found many different versions of this recipe and have altered it often to suit my own taste buds. 

Sometimes I prepare this recipe with bone in chicken pieces, dried apricots instead of prunes, apple cider vinegar instead of red wine vinegar and sour cherries instead of golden raisins.  The sky is the limit so let your creative juices flow!    

Chicken Marbella

4-6 Fresh Boneless Free Range or Organic Chicken Breasts

3 cloves garlic minced

2 tsp dried oregano (1 tblsp fresh oregano chopped)

¼ cup capers drained

½ cup olive oil

¼ cup good quality red wine vinegar

½ cup dried plums halved

½ cup dried sour cherries or cranberries

¼ cup large green olives sliced

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup white wine

3 bay leaves

Salt and pepper

Marinade

Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt and pepper and either place in a glass baking dish or Ziploc bag.  Whisk together the garlic, oregano, capers, olive oil and vinegar.  Next add the plums, cherries and green olives to the mixture.  Add the marinade and bay leaves to the chicken and let it refrigerate overnight.

To Roast

Take the chicken out of the refrigerator and if it?s in a Ziploc bag place the chicken and all the marinade in a glass baking dish.  Discard the bay leaves.  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  While your oven is preheating, pour the white wine over the chicken and then sprinkle the brown sugar on top.

Roast the chicken for about 30-35 minutes or until done.  Let the chicken rest for about 10 minutes before serving.  Serve over a wild rice pilaf or Mediterranean cous cous.