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Wheatless Wednesday: Chicken Marbella

By Katherine Spiers
April 10, 2013
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The ingredients list for this dish might strike some as a little unorthodox, but as KCET's America's Test Kitchen points out, it's a chicken dinner that's been a staple in many American homes for decades. Serve with lentils or long-grain rice to keep the whole dinner wheatless, and enjoy!

Chicken Marbella
Serves 4 -6
Paste
1/2 cup pitted green olives, rinsed
1/3 cup pitted prunes
3 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tbs capers, rinsed
3 anchovy fillets, rinsed
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp kosher salt
Pinch red pepper flakes

Chicken
21/2 - 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on (or off whatever your preference) split chicken breasts and/or leg quarters, trimmed
Kosher salt and pepper
2 tsp olive oil
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup white wine
1/3 cup pitted green olives, rinsed and halved
1 tbs capers, rinsed
2 bay leaves
1/3 cup pitted prunes, chopped coarse
1 tbs unsalted butter
1 tsp red wine vinegar
2 tbs minced fresh parsley

With oven rack at middle position, heat at 400 degrees. Paste: pulse all ingredients in food processor until smooth. Can be prepped ahead the day before.

Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skillet until just smoking. Place chicken skin-side down and brown 5 - 8 minutes. Remove to a plate.

Add 1/3 cup of paste to skillet and cook 3 - 4 minutes until a fond forms at the bottom of the pan. Stir in broth, wine, olives, capers and bay leaves scraping the good brown bits. Return chicken to pan skin side up (skin s/b above liquid) and roast uncovered in oven for 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and spread rest of paste over chicken pieces. Sprinkle prunes around chicken. Continue to roast until breasts register 160 degrees and legs 175.

Transfer chicken to platter and foil loosely. Remove bay leaves from sauce. Whisk in butter, vinegar, and 1 tbs parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce around chicken. Sprinkle with remaining parsley.

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