I have been making this Chicken Marbella for over 10 years and it is still one of my favourites and a crowd pleaser. It's so easy to make, which means it's perfect for when you have a lot of people to feed but still has that wow factor. I know some of these flavours sound like a weird mix but it gives the perfect sweet and sour flavour. A few people said they hated olives, if that's the case then they can be left out and it won't ruin the dish. I find this best served over cous cous with the extra juices spooned over the top.
The longer you marinade the better but I have made do with 1 hour and it was still great.
- 8 Chicken thighs - I prefer boneless but either is fine
- 1/2 head of garlic crushed
- 2 Tbsp dried oregano
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup pitted prunes
- 1/2 cup dried apricots
- 8 large pitted Spanish green olives, cut in half.
- 1/4 cup capers with a bit of juice
- 3 bay leaves
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Method
1. In a large bowl combine garlic, oregano, salt and pepper to taste, vinegar, olive oil, prunes, apricots, olives, capers with caper juice, and bay leaves. Add the chicken thighs and toss through the marinade. Cover and let marinate in the fridge.
2. Preheat oven to 180°c. Place chicken in a shallow baking pan and spoon marinade over it evenly. Sprinkle brown sugar over the chicken pieces and pour white wine around them.
3. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, basting frequently with the pan juices.
4. Move the chicken, prunes, apricots, olives, and capers to a serving platter or directly over plated cous cous. Pour some of the pan juices over the chicken. Serve remaining juices in a gravy boat.
