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Chicken Marbella has become a classic ever since it was first created by the late Sheila Lukins in the Spring of 1976.  Sheila was cooking a dinner party for 8 people when she met Julee Rosso.  Julee’s boyfriend hired Sheila to cook dinner from “found ingredients” out of cupboards that Julee was all too familiar with. Julee pitched in as time was growing short and guests would be arriving any minute. They frantically searched for ingredients and immediately bonded over their shared loves of food and travel. They had both recently visited Marrakech and Andalusia and the boring chicken quarters became inspired by those wonderful cuisines. They began to transform them into treasures dotted with green Spanish olives, capers, prunes and oregano. Chicken Marbella was born that night and they named it after the magnificent Club Marbella, a beach resort they both loved on the shores of the Mediterranean sea. The dish won raves that night and has continued to do so ever since. Sheila and Julee went on to open the very chic, gourmet take out shop, Silver Palate, in New York City and wrote 3 cookbooks together.

As a present for my niece, Cara, I prepared the food for her wedding reception and Chicken Marbella’s combination of slightly sweet and tart made it the star attraction.

For my sister, Debra, who asked me to send her the recipe:

Original Recipe – From the Silver Palate Cookbook

Since Chicken Marbella is such a spectacular party dish, the quantities are to serve 8 to 12 but the recipe can be successfully divided to make a smaller amount.  I used just one chicken and divided by half the ingredients – that gives you more of the good stuff to spoon over it.

4 chickens, 2.5 lbs each, quartered

1 head of garlic

¼ cup dried oregano

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

½ cup red wine vinegar

½ cup olive oil

1 cup pitted prunes

½ cup pitted olives

½ cup capers

6 bay leaves

1 cup brown sugar (I do not use the brown sugar – I think it makes it too sweet)

1 cup white wine

¼ cup chopped parsley

In a large bowl combine chicken quarters, garlic, oregano, pepper and coarse salt to taste, vinegar, olive oil, prunes, olives, capers and juice, and bay leaves. Cover and let marinate, refrigerated, overnight.

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Arrange chicken in a single layer in one or two large, shallow baking pans and spoon marinade over it evenly. Sprinkle chicken pieces with brown sugar (again, I don’t use the brown sugar) and pour white wine around them.
• Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, basting frequently with pan juices. Chicken is done when thigh pieces, pricked with a fork at their thickest, yield clear yellow (rather than pink) juice.
• With a slotted spoon transfer chicken, prunes, olives and capers to a serving platter. Moisten with a few spoonfuls of pan juices and sprinkle generously with parsley or cilantro. Pass remaining pan juices in a sauceboat.
• To serve Chicken Marbella cold, cool to room temperature in cooking juices before transferring to a serving platter. If chicken has been covered and refrigerated, allow it to return to room temperature before serving. Spoon some of the reserved juices over chicken.

Updated Version of Chicken Marbella Recipe’

This updated version is made with boneless/skinless chicken thighs and much more of the good stuff so that everyone gets their fair share. It is baked covered so that the chicken doesn’t dry out and then flashed under the broiler to brown it just a bit. The leftovers, re-heated with their juices separately reduced, are wonderful over arugula as a lunch or dinner entrée salad. The key to this dish is the overnight marination which is essential to its moistness, especially when you’re using only chicken breasts. And, the chicken keeps and improves further if you marinate it longer..

Updated Version – Recipe’

Serves 10

5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, halved
20 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely pureed
¼ cup dried oregano
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup olive oil, good quality
2 cups pitted prunes
1¾ cup pitted Spanish green olives
1 cup capers with a bit of juice
6 bay leaves
1½ cup light brown sugar (optional)
2 cups white wine
½ cup fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped

Instructions

• In a large bowl combine chicken pieces, garlic, oregano, pepper , salt, vinegar, olive oil, prunes, olives, capers and juice and bay leaves. Cover and let marinate, refrigerated, overnight.
• Pre-heat oven to 350°F.
• Arrange chicken in a single layer in two large shallow baking pans (do not crowd or the chicken will steam), and distribute the marinade over it evenly. Sprinkle chicken pieces with brown sugar (optional) and pour white wine around them. Cover the pans tightly with foil.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes, basting every ten minutes with the pan juices. Chicken is done when juices yielded are clear, not pink. Pre-heat the broiler well and baste the chicken again. Place the pans of chicken about 2″ under it for 3-4 minutes until the chicken becomes just slightly browned. Do not leave it long, as it will dry the chicken out. Pass the sauces on the side.

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News Flash: New Restaurant in Cabo San Lucas:  El Peregrino

El Peregrino is a charming new restaurant just off the beaten path in downtown Cabo.  The menu is international with traditional Mexican dishes, Cuban sandwiches, fish, chicken, octopus, sashimi, pork sliders, tuna tartare, rib eye, New York strip and BBQ ribs.  It has a nice selection of wines that are reasonably priced and a full bar.  Our group consisted of 12 people and for a new restaurant, El Peregrino was running smoothly and everyone agreed the food was good and the service was “spot on” AND IT IS AIR CONDITIONED!!!!

Location:  Esq. Zaragoza y 20 de Noviembre

Hours:  Mon: 1:00 pm to 11:00 pm     Wed – Sun:  1:00 pm to 11:00 pm     Closed Tuesdays

More to come about El Peregrino in my October blog.