Silver Palate Chicken Marbella
Meg and I made a discovery recently while planning our July recipes. We both love summer entertaining, eating tender charcoal kissed pieces of marinated chicken or juicy grilled steak, and we also share a BBQ dilemma.
My husband Graham likes to BBQ, but his enthusiasm wanes as the temperature outdoors in Chicago hits 90 in the shade and he begins to melt over the coals. Its distracting, as is the fireside conversation with friends. Meg’s husband Steve, loves the idea of barbequing. He spends time making a list, commits to assembling all the supplies and fires up the grill. But as guests start to arrive he gets lost in conversation and Meg has to jump into action. Thats not a job she’s keen to caretake in a summer sundress or white pants.
So to replace any last minute wardrobe malfunctions Meg’s “go-to” summer menu is Chicken Marbella from The Silver Palate cookbook. Its an easy night-before assembly with overnight refrigeration and can be cooked the following day. However, this is equally delicious served after cooling and sliced onto a plate with a summer salad. Aside from measurement variations the original recipe remains in tact.
I cooked this in my friend Katie’s kitchen for a welcome home family supper after a long flight. There’s definitely something celebratory about returning home to your own kitchen after time away.
Preparation time 10 minutes
Cooking Time 3-4 hrs HIGH or 7-8 hrs LOW
Servings 4-6
Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup pitted prunes
1/4 cup pitted Spanish green olives
1/4 cup capers with a little juice
3 bay leaves
2 tbsp garlic, crushed
2 tbsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper
2 1/2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white wine
In a mixing bowl combine the olive oil, vinegar, prunes, olives, capers, bay leaves, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper, chicken. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.
Remove the chicken mixture from the refrigerator and mix in the sugar and wine. Transfer all the mixture into your slow cooker and turn to low for 7-8 hrs or high for 3-4 hrs.
Zen Toolkit
Meg assembles all the ingredients in a bowl or a large ziploc bag the night before and pours them straight into her slow cooker the following morning.
Zen Moment
“It is around the table that friends understand best, the warmth of being together.”
-Unknown