Chicken Marbella

I was served this scrumptious dish at a dinner party several years ago and was in love with it!  But, alas, the recipe somehow got moved to the back of  my collection and I only recently rediscovered it.  This is my version of the classic dinner party dish from the Silver Palate cook book that was all the rage in the 1980's.  Though the combination of ingredients may sound strange, the end result is chicken so tender in a sauce that you just want to drink!  If  you're lucky enough to have left-overs, it's just as good served cold over a salad!  I served it with creamy parmesan orzo, zucchini & squash gratin provencal, chopped green salad with red wine vinaigrette, and an artisan loaf of crusty rosemary olive oil batard.

Serves 6
INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup pitted dried plums (prunes!)
1/2 cup pitted Spanish green olives, some sliced & some whole
1/4 cup capers with some juice from the jar
6-8 cloves of minced garlic
2 Tablespoons oregano
Salt & pepper to taste
6 boneless & skinless chicken breasts (can mix it  up with boneless chicken thighs too)
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/8 cup finely chopped parsley

DIRECTIONS:
Combine the oil, vinegar, plums, olives, capers & their juice, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper and chicken in a Ziploc bag.  Seal the bag and massage so that the marinade covers all of the chicken breasts.  Refrigerate & let marinate overnight.

When you're ready to bake this beautiful entree, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Place the chicken mixture in a large roasting pan in a single layer.  Sprinkle with brown sugar and pour the wine around the edges.

Bake, basting every now & then with the juices in the pan, for about 45 minutes to an hour.

Sprinkle with parsley and voila; you're ready to impress your guests!