Chicken Marbella

Ingredients:

Serves 4

8 chicken thighs, skin on. 

1 medium onion, diced 

6 dried bay leaves 

5 cloves garlic, minced

Medium-sized bunch of thyme

1 cinnamon stick 

1 tsp cayenne powder  

600ml white wine

500ml chicken stock

20 pitted prunes

75g pitted kalamata olives

75g capers 

1 1/2 tbsp muscovado sugar 

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

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Serve with rice 

Serves 4 

300g brown rice

Method 

 

  1. Preheat your oven to 200℃.

  2. Start by seasoning the chicken thighs generously. Colour them in a pan until brown on all sides. Transfer to a roasting tray where they fit snugly. 

  3. Using the same pan (I like to pour off a bit of the chicken fat beforehand) add the onion and bay, season well and stir for a few minutes. 

  4. Then add the garlic, thyme, cinnamon and cayenne and cook for another couple of minutes. 

  5. Pour in the wine and bring up to the boil. Then pour in the stock and leave to reduce for about 10 minutes. 

  6. Pour the reduced liquid into the roasting tray, making sure that there aren't any onions on top of the chicken thighs as they'll burn. Make sure to pour the liquid 3/4 of the way up the chicken so that the skin can crisp up in the oven. Any leftover liquid can be added later or used in a soup or something. 

  7. Sprinkle the prunes, kalamata olives, capers on top. Again, tucking them in so they don't burn. Follow with the muscovado sugar.

  8. Cook the rice ( have a look at the video for my tips ) 

  9. Bake in the oven for about 50 minutes or until the chicken skin is lovely and dark brown. Before serving, pour the juice and zest of the lemon on top and serve sprinkled with chopped parsley. 

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