Chicken Marbella is a wonderfully easy dish to prepare with very little clean-up. (And isn’t that what all us single parents need?)I love how elegant it is and it’s great to serve when you have friends coming over as adults love it and kids do too! If you have picky eaters, this dish will introduce them to Mediterranean flavors and we all know that a Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest for longevity. Read this article by the Mayo Clinic if you want further proof! While this dish does require some pricey ingredients, if you stock your pantry with them once a month, you’ll be able to cook a variety of dishes at the drop of a hat. I started cooking Marbella more than 10 years ago from a recipe that I found in the Silver Palate Cookbook by Julee Rosso & Sheila Lukins. I’ve tweaked it so much over the years that it’s my own version now. Cook a lot more than you need, as it’s actually better the next day with extra marinade time, is good cold at picnics and also freezes well. I hope you and your family enjoy it as much as we do!
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup pitted prunes
- 1/2 cup dried apricots
- 1/2 cup pitted Spanish green olives with whole olives in the middle
- 1/2 cup capers with a bit of juice
- 6 bay leaves
- 1 head garlic , peeled and finely puréed (or two tablespoons lazy chopped garlic.)
- 1/4 cup dried oregano
- Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 8 chicken breasts cut into small 1/2 inch to 1 inch pieces.
- 1 cup dry white wine (Red wine works fine too!)
- 1/4 cup fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley or fresh cilantro , finely chopped
- Optional item: small pearl onions.
- Handfull of brown sugar (also optional. I’ve cooked without and it’s still delightful.)
Serve over couscous and with a mixed green salad.
Related articles
- Rosemary Garlic Lemon Chicken (ordinarylifeisextraordinary.wordpress.com)
- The Cookstr 10: Ten Recipes from Sheila Lukins (definitiveink.typepad.com)
