This past weekend I bought a new pair of running shoes at one of the local running stores. I live in what I have called a 'running town'. In addition to there being two running stores, there are numerous running clubs, running camps for kids, more than a half dozen races hosted by local organizations, and a high school having a significant number of state championship teams. Even though it wasn't that long ago that I would have considered myself a 'runner', someone who ran four to five times a week, 5ks, 10ks and 5 milers, several half-marathons and two marathons, it feels like those running days were a lifetime ago. So during the long, thorough process of being fitted for a new pair of shoes, the young 'runner' who was helping me make a good shoe 'fit' purchase decision (steering me away from choosing a shoe based solely on color and towards one to help me compensate for my pronation issues) asked me what my running goals were. Not someone to be cagey or evasive (traits I see as being disingenuous), I shared my desire to run a few races in the year ahead. And then before I knew it I was signed up to train for a 5k (sometimes you have to go back and start at the beginning) when my only goal that day was to buy a new pair of running shoes! I guess somedays you need someone else to push you when you haven't been able to push yourself off of that 'thinking about it' place. Needless to say, I came out of the store with more than a pair of shoes. And I have an eighteen year old cross country runner heading off to college in the fall to study engineering at a Big Ten school to thank for pushing me.
An even longer time period has passed since I made the Silver Palate's Chicken Marbella. So long ago I couldn't even remember what it tasted like or what I served it with. For whatever reason or reasons I never incorporated it into my repertoire of go to chicken dishes. But that too is now about to change. Maybe it was making this dish with only chicken thighs and chicken legs instead of pieces of cut-up chicken; maybe it was using Mexican instead of Mediterranean oregano; maybe it was using a Chardonnay I would actually drink; or maybe it was the combination of flavors of the Chicken Marbella Dark and Roasted Artichoke Orzo that made me look at this dish very differently. I would be remiss if I did not also mention the intoxicating aroma of this dish as it baked in the oven. Whatever it was that pushed me back into making the Chicken Marbella (the dark version), I was just glad I was open to being influenced into revisiting the recipe.
Chicken Marbella Dark is the kind of dish you want to serve for Sunday supper, for a dinner with friends, at a graduation party, at an Academy Awards gathering, or to make just because you absolutely love chicken. This is one of those dishes where 90 percent of the prep work is done the day before, making the day of entertaining so much less hectic. And in the words of the cooking goddess Ina Garten 'how easy is that?'.
One of the keys to this dish is giving it time to marinate in the olive oil, red wine vinegar, bay leaves, chopped garlic, the mexican oregano, salt/pepper, Spanish olives, capers and prunes (yes, prunes) overnight. Don't listen to anyone who tells you marinating for several hours is good enough. Unless of course you are someone who settles for good enough. Trust me when I say this marinade elevates chicken thighs and chicken legs to new heights of deliciousness. That is, if you allow it to marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
About an hour before you are ready to bake the chicken, remove from the refrigerator, transfer to a baking dish large and deep enough to accommodate all of the pieces of chicken and the additional ingredients of light brown sugar and white wine. The pan I used worked, but next time I should give the pieces of chicken just a little more breathing room so each piece can fully brown. After laying out the individual pieces of chicken in your pan, pour the marinade over it. Top with one cup of light brown sugar and one cup of white wine. I used a chardonnay but any white blend would work. Choose a wine you would enjoy drinking and not the white wine someone brought you as a gift that you couldn't figure out to do with.
The Chicken Marbella Dark bakes in a preheated 350 degree (F) oven for 50 to 60 minutes. The chicken is ready to remove from the oven when it has browned; when the juices run clear after being pierced with a sharp knife; and when the temperature of the chicken ranges between 165-170 degrees. The doneness of chicken has more to do with temperature than color. And remember, the temperature of chicken will increase from 5 to 10 degrees if allowed to rest (loosely covered) for five to ten minutes.
The baked chicken is transferred to a serving platter and topped with freshly chopped parsley. The remaining juices enhanced with the white wine can be poured into a gravy boat and served alongside the chicken. The Chicken Marbella Dark can be served warm or at room temperature, making it perfect for buffet style entertaining.
The Roasted Artichoke Orzo I made to accompany the chicken could not have been a more perfect and easy to make compliment. This was nothing more than drizzling some olive oil, salt and pepper over a drained, cut up into quarters can of artichokes and roasting for 30 to 35 minutes at 350 degrees (F) along with cooking two cups of orzo. Added to the roasted artichokes and cooked orzo were a couple of tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, a teaspoon of lemon zest, two tablespoons of chopped parsley, and some salt and pepper to taste. It is that easy. Note: The artichokes can be roasted earlier in the day, making this dish easy for last minute assembly.
The changes made to some of the ingredients along with the use of dark meat only created a dish very different than the one I remembered (which was probably why I didn't keep making it). Mostly savory with a little bit of sweetness from the dried prunes and brown sugar, I can honestly say this now may be one of my favorite chicken dishes. So if by chance you had made and tasted Chicken Marbella before but weren't overly wowed by it, maybe I can push you into reconsidering making it again by borrowing from Nike. Just do it.
Chicken Marbella Dark (inspired by the Chicken Marbella recipe from The Silver Palate Cookbook written by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins)
Ingredients
2 1/2 pounds chicken thighs, with skins
2 12 pounds chicken legs
1 large head of garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup dried mexican oregano
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup whole pitted prunes
1/2 cup pitted Spanish green olives
1/2 cup larger sized capers, with a Tablespoon of juice
6 bay leaves
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup white wine (recommend a Chardonnay or white blend)
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Directions
1. In a large bowl, combine the garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, red wine vinegar, olive oil, prunes, olives, capers and bay leaves.
2. Add chicken thighs and chicken legs to the marinade. Mix to coat all pieces of chicken. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Note: Stir several times to ensure all pieces of the chicken are marinated evenly.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Remove chicken from refrigerator at least 30 minutes before baking.
4. Arrange chicken in a single layer in a large shallow baking dish. Spoon marinade over the chicken.
5. Evenly sprinkle the brown sugar over the chicken.
6. Pour white wine around the sides of the baking dish.
7. Bake chicken for 50 to 60 minutes, or until juices run clear.
8. Transfer baked chicken to a serving platter. Using a slotted spoon, arrange the prunes, olives and capers over the chicken. Spoon some of the remaining pan juices over the chicken. Note: Transfer remaining pan juices to a gravy boat and serve along side of the chicken.
9. Top with chopped parsley.
10. Serve immediately or at room temperature.
Note: Serve with a side of roasted artichoke orzo; basmati rice; or couscous.
