Succulent chicken with sweet and tangy Marbella sauce
Serves 6 Prep Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 1 hour (not including brining time)
2/3 cup pitted green olives, rinsed and drained, divided (not stuffed)
2/3 cup chopped pitted prunes, divided
3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled
2 Tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
3 anchovy fillets, rinsed, or 2 teaspoons anchovy paste
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 pounds bone-in, skin on chicken breasts and/or leg quarters, brined*
1 Tablespoon extra light olive oil (do not extra virgin)
3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup Dry vermouth or dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
1 Tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained
2 bay leaves
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons minced fresh flat leaf parsley
1. Preheat Oven: Heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Make Marbella Paste: Pulse FIRST 10 ingredients in a food processor until smooth, scraping down sides as needed. Scrape into bowl and set aside. (Can be made ahead up to one day and refrigerated)
3. Prep Chicken: Rinse chicken to remove the brine, pat each piece dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle chicken with kosher salt and fresh pepper.
4. Brown Chicken: Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium high heat until it shimmers. Add chicken pieces, skin side down, and cook without moving for 5 to 7 minutes, until well browned. Remove chicken and set aside. Drain all but 1 tablespoon oil from skillet and return to medium-low heat.
5. Make Sauce: Add 1/3 cup of the Marbella paste to skillet, stirring constantly, until fragrant and fond forms in the bottom of the pan, a minute or two. Continuing to stir, add broth, Vermouth, olives, capers and bay leaves, scraping off any brown bits from the bottom of the skillet.
6. Roast Chicken: Return chicken to pan, skin side up. Place pan to oven and roast, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
7. Finish Cooking Chicken: Remove skillet form oven and spread paste over chicken pieces with a spoon or knife; sprinkle prunes around chicken and return to oven. Cook for another 10 minutes or so, until paste begins to brown and chicken registers 160 degrees for breasts and/or 175 for leg quarters with a quick read digital thermometer.
8. Finish Sauce & Serve: Transfer chicken to a serving platter, tent loosely with foil. Off heat, remove bay leaves from skillet and whisk in 1 Tablespoon butter until incorporated. Whisk in remaining butter, vinegar and 1 tablespoon parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour remaining sauce around chicken, sprinkle with remaining parsley, and serve with rice or noodles, if desired. Enjoy!
*To brine chicken, mix 1/2 cup kosher salt and 1/2 cup sugar into 2 quarts cold water until dissolved. Place chicken in water, cover, and let rest in refrigerator for 1/2 to 1 hour.
