The Silver Palate’s Chicken Marbella Recipe (2024)

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I was trying this recipe, and felt like it was A LOT of brown sugar going on top. I researched the original recipe in the Silver Palatte cookbookand realized all ingredients were reduced by 1/2 in the version, except the wine and brown sugar. Just a caution.

I make this for Rosh Hashonah every year with dried apricots instead of prunes and much less sugar. I serve it with couscous, roast butternut squash and toasted pine nuts.

I adore this recipe and find it perfect for dinner parties. I always use boneless chicken thighs as I find them easier for guests to deal with. This reduces the cooking time to 30 minutes. I also like to use a combination of prunes and dried apricots. Leftovers freeze well---I like to freeze the liquid separately from the meat. When I thaw, I heat the liquid in a saucepan and submerge the chicken in the liquid for a slow reheat. I think it tastes like it did when I first baked it.

I worked at the Silver Palate for several years in the kitchen. This was one of Sheila Lukins' favs. I made it many, many times! Good memories there.The brown sugar should be a light dusting, I like to get the skin a bit crisp before dusting with the brown sugar.

I use demerara sugar instead of brown sugar, and a lot less - I just sprinkle it lightly over the dish before it goes in the oven. Comes out perfect.

love to make this with DATES instead of prunes.

Years ago a dear friend adapted this for boneless chicken breasts, which could be cut into two or three pieces each before marinating. He also insisted on marinating for 24 hours and, after cooking, for letting the chicken refrigerate overnite. Gently reheated or served at room temperature, it is a perfect buffet dish. Recently I've made it for showers for a couple of millennial brides and they all wanted the recipe. It is a keeper.

I have been cooking this recipe a couple of times a year for about 30 years. I never use the amount of sugar called for. I sprinkle about 2 tablespoons over the top - otherwise, it is way too sweet for my family's taste and ruins the nuance of the other flavors. With less sugar is certainly warrants 5 stars.

I've been making this since the old Silver Palette days. Have made the CI recipe too. I always tweak it. Some tips. This time I used boneless skinless thighs and the portions were perfect and flavor was unfatty. I think oven temp should be higher than 350 since boneless meat was denser. Took extra time to cook. And I turned it up to 450 for 10 minutes to promote more caramelization. I halved the sugar of course. Was delicious. Use a thermometer and cut into pieces to check doneness.

Our go-to Passover, Chanukah, any old party recipe. Ask your butcher to get you the smaller (2.5 pound) chickens--they are hard to find at the poultry counter, but they all use them for their whole roasted chickens they sell cooked and can order them for you. Quarter them for a much more user friendly portion than the huge, 4-5 pound birds that sit front and center. They like to sell the bigger birds...Also, mixing your dried fruit--apricots, cherries, for instance, adds color.

You put the chicken and ALL of the marinade (prunes, olives, etc.) in the pan before cooking.

I've made this many times, and you're right that it's best to use the boneless. skinless thighs. I've found the higher the quality the olive oil and red wine vinegar the better. Also, I use Kalamata and Nicoise olives instead of the Spanish; and I use raisins instead of prunes. Finally, when I make the rice for it, I use chicken stock instead of water--gives the dish a bit more depth of flavor.

My go to (not so) secret recipe. I bump up the marinade and fruits/olives and tone way down on the brown sugar. Everyone raves and feeds a crowd of foodies.

This, was incredibly good. Fixed it for my wife's birthday along with our grown kids etc. Every single person said it was fantastic! Bone in, skin on, thighs, dates instead of prunes. Everything else as written. Next time I will definitely increase olives to full cup, dates to 1.5 cups and capers to well round half cup. Getting the capers out after chicken had cooked in the pan was a challenge. Instead of reducing liquid in pan in oven, I poured liquid into saucepan over high heat. Many thanks!

Many suggest substituting boneless thighs, but what is the equivalent to the 7-8 lbs of whole chicken in the recipe? I assume half that?

Nevermind! The nutritional info is not that bad. (I should have known the French know what they are doing.)

Hello from Dublin. To half the recipe with boneless thighs:Perfect amount of sauce and flavour with 850g of Boneless skinless chicken thighs. Brown sugar seems like a lot but go with it. Extra chopped prunes was a nice touch.

Too much salt. With large quantity of olives and capers, it doesn’t need any salt. Apricots would be lovely. With skin on chicken, don’t need as much olive oil.

Apricots and prunes cut in halves and quarters. 1/2 oil if using skin -on chicken. No salt -olives and capers add enough. Little orange juice at end would be nice.

Incredible! My adjustments: I used 9 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs instead of the whole chickens so guest servings would be uniform. A scant ~1/3 cup of brown sugar to sprinkle over each piece of chicken, increased white wine slightly to 1 1/4 cup. It wasn't practical to put my roasting pan on the stove, so I transferred the liquid to a saucier pan; 15-20 mins to reduce. Serve with a salad and fresh loaf of bread & butter to sop up the delicious juices. Yum!

Do not cut back on sugar or end up too dry

I’ve made this so many times for various dinner parties, showers, family gatherings: you name it. This recipe never fails and pleases everyone. Like so many others, I use chicken thighs and chicken breasts that I cut in half. I use less sugar; a dusting is enough. I’ve doubled and tripled this recipe successfully but tend to cut back on the wine when cooking. It doesn’t need that much liquid. Delicious at room temperature.

I have made this for years and I substitute dried black currants for the prunes and eliminate the brown sugar completely. Plenty sweet enough from the currants.

really good! an actual classic. i used dried mission figs instead of prunes (because I had some in the back of the cabinet that I've been trying to use up lol) and did this with 4-5 lbs of drumsticks instead of a butchered whole chicken. also reduced the brown sugar to a sprinkle, as others have mentioned. it turned out great! will definitely make this again

I’ve been making this since getting the book as a wedding shower gift in 1990, everyone loves it, and fight over any leftovers the next day. It’s fine marinating an extra day. I cook a few degrees hotter, 360°, in oval casseroles. The best dinner party dish as all you have to do it put it in the oven when guests arrive, during co*cktails and appetizers the house smells amazing. I make it with boneless breasts cut in 2 or 3, and always use apricots rather than prunes.

Used 3 tbs brown sugar. Yummy

Used cranberries instead of prunes, and we only had chicken thighs at home. Although not classic Marbella, it certainly was extremely delicious!