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
Piece the chicken (following our How to Piece a Chicken post or this video for example).
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.
Gently mix everything together, cover the bowl, and leave in the fridge to marinate for 1-2 days, stirring a few times.
Preheat the oven to 400°F
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.
Place in the oven and cook for 50 minutes, basting 2-3 times, until the meat is golden brown on top and cooked through.
Remove from oven, transfer everything (every last drop!) to a platter, sprinkle with more oregano and serve.