Chicken Marbella

From The Silver Palate
Serves 6

This is Rich's favorite food of all time.

6 chicken thighs
6 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2 T dried oregano
sea salt and black pepper
1/4 c red wine vinegar
1/4 c olive oil
1/2 c pitted prunes
1/4 c pitted Kalamata olives
1/4 c capers with a bit of juice
3 bay leaves

1 or 2 tbls. brown sugar
1/2 c white wine
2 T fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped

1. Rinse chicken pieces and pat dry. In a lrg. glass baking dish, arrange chicken pieces in a single layer. Combine garlic, oregano, sea salt and black pepper, vinegar, olive oil, prunes, olives, capers and juice, and bay leaves, and arrange over and around chicken. Cover and let marinate in refrigerator overnight (or at least 4 hours).
2. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Sprinkle the dish with brown sugar and pour in the white wine. Place baking dish in the oven and bake 50 minutes to 1 hour until thigh pieces yield clear, yellow juice.
4. Transfer chicken, prunes, olives, and capers to a serving platter. Moisten chicken with spoonfuls of juices, and sprinkle generously with parsley. Put the pan juices in a gravy boat and serve on the side. (The juices are absolutely delicious and worth pouring all over your chicken. Serve with mashed potatoes to soak up the extra juices.)


This is how Rich eats his Chicken Marbella. The girls call it "Chicken Marbella Mountain."

Peasant Vegetable Soup

From The Silver Palate.

Serves 6 to 8

1 1/2 c dried Cannellini beans (or great northern, navy, or other white bean)
4 T salted butter (or olive oil)
1 c finely chopped sweet or yellow onion
4 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed, and finely chopped
3 leeks, white part only, thoroughly cleaned and thinly sliced
2 celery ribs, washed and coarsely chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
8 to 10 cups organic chicken broth
3 parsnips, peeled and chopped
2 or 3 ham (or I like turkey-ham) steaks, cut into cubes
1/2 of a small white cabbage, shredded (about 2 cups)
1/2 c chopped fresh Italian parsley
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Sort through the beans and discard pebbles. Soak beans overnight in water that covers them by about 3 inches.
2. Drain the beans. In a large soup or stock pan, warm the butter or oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, onions, leaks, celery, and carrots, and cook, uncovered, until vegetables are tender and lightly colored. (I add the parsnips in this step sometimes, too.)
3. Stir in the thyme, bay leaf, and chicken broth. Then add parsnips, ham, and beans, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for at least 40 minutes or until the beans are tender.
4. Add the cabbage and parsley; simmer another 5 to 10 minutes. Taste and correct seasoning (I add about 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper to start with). Serve.