Chicken Marbella

This recipe is modified from Yotam Ottolenghi’s Simple, and inspired by a similar recipe in the classic cookbook, The Silver Palate. Although The Silver Palate was always kicking around my mother’s kitchen when I was a child, the first time I remember having Chicken Marbella was at a friend’s house in my 30s. It blew me away! Of course, Ottolenghi somehow steps it up a notch, and in such a simple way!

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken, cut up into pieces

• 5 garlic cloves, minced

• 3/4 C fresh oregano leaves, plus extra to serve

• 3 tablespoon red wine vinegar

• 3 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 C pitted green olives

• 6 teaspoon capers

• 120g Medjool dates (~6-8), pitted and quartered lengthwise

• 2 bay leaves

• salt and pepper

• 1/2 C dry white wine

• 1 tablespoon date molasses (or standard molasses)

Preparation

1. Piece the chicken (following our How to Piece a Chicken post or this video for example).

2. Place then chicken in a large nonreactive bowl and add the garlic, oregano, vinegar, olive oil, capers, dates, bay leaves, along with 1 teaspoon salt and some pepper.

3. Gently mix everything together, cover the bowl, and leave in the fridge to marinate for 1-2 days, stirring a few times.

4. Preheat the oven to 400°F

5. Spread out the chicken parts on a medium high-sided baking pan, along with all the marinade. Whisk together the wine and molasses and pour over the meat.

6. Place in the oven and cook for 50 minutes, basting 2-3 times, until the meat is golden brown on top and cooked through.

7. Remove from oven, transfer everything (every last drop!) to a platter, sprinkle with more oregano and serve.