Chicken Marabella was a popular dinner party dish in the 1980’s. It has a Mediterranean profile with lots of flavor from garlic, capers, and olives. This is my version of the recipe. I love Chicken Marabella because you can marinate the chicken for up to 3 days. You can even freeze chicken in the marinade. I’m always looking for entrees that I can assemble ahead of time and cook in the oven later. This frees me up to actually have a conversation with my family and/or friends! It has one odd ingredient; prunes for sweetness. If you have an aversion to prunes you can always substitute honey! Enjoy!

Chicken Marabella
4 chicken breasts cut in half lengthwise to make 8 pieces
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano leaves
2 tablespoons capers
1 bay leaf
1/2 tablespoon minced garlic (I use minced garlic in a jar)
6 prunes, cut in thirds or 1 tablespoon honey
12 small olives stuffed with pimento

Place chicken in a 1 gallon zip-top bag. Set aside. Mix remaining ingredients together in a small bowl to make the marinade. Pour marinade over chicken. Seal bag then move chicken around in the bag to coat chicken with marinade. Re-seal bag removing all air. Refrigerate overnight and/or up to 3 days. Turn chicken over several times to redistribute the marinade. 

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Remove chicken from refrigerator and set on counter 30 minutes (cooking ice cold chicken makes it tough). Pour chicken and marinade into a 9 X 13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Spread chicken out into a single layer. Before baking, finish chicken with the following ingredients:
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup Pinot Grigio, white wine

Sprinkle brown sugar on top of chicken. Sprinkle salt and pepper on top of chicken. Pour wine around chicken (Not on top!). 
Bake 45-55 minutes or until internal temperature is 165ºF. Let chicken rest 10 minutes. Serve with hot juices, olives, and capers.

Published in The News and Neighbor on March 3, 2021.