chicken marbella Name: Jennifer Miller Base: Falls Church Recipe: 2 lbs chicken thigh pieces, skinless and boneless, cut each piece into 4 1⁄2 head garlic, peeled and finely pureed (this works out to about 6-8 cloves) 1 1⁄2 tablespoons dried oregano, crumbled coarse salt fresh ground black pepper 1⁄3 cup red wine vinegar 1⁄3 cup olive oil 12 pitted prunes (I cut them in half) 6 dried apricots, cut in half (optional) 1⁄2 cup pitted spanish green olives 1⁄3 cup capers, with a bit of juice 3 bay leaves 1⁄2 cup brown sugar (I prefer to use less - 1/4 cup is fine) 3⁄4 cup white wine 1⁄2 teaspoon chili powder (not in original recipe) (optional) 1⁄3 cup Italian parsley (cilantro) or 1/3 cup fresh coriander, finely chopped (cilantro) DIRECTIONS In a large bowl combine chicken quarters, garlic, oregano, pepper and coarse salt to taste, vinegar, olive oil, prunes, apricots (if using), olives, capers and juice, bay leaves, brown sugar and white wine. Cover and let marinate, refrigerated, overnight. Preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange chicken in a single layer in a large, shallow baking pan and spoon marinade over it evenly. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, basting frequently with pan juices. Chicken is done when thigh pieces, pricked with a fork at their thickest, yield clear yellow (rather than pink) juice. With a slotted spoon transfer chicken, prunes, olives and capers to a serving platter. Moisten with a few spoonfuls of pan juices and sprinkle generously with parsley or cilantro. Pass remaining pan juices in a sauceboat. Note: To serve Chicken Marbella cold, cool to room temperature in cooking juices before transferring to a serving platter. If chicken has been covered and refrigerated, allow it to return to room temperature before serving. Spoon some of the reserved juices over chicken.