You might have noticed that all my recipes so far are vegetarian. I have been a vegetarian for most of my life but I learned a few meat dishes from my nonna which I cook for my family on special occasions.
This chicken dish is easy to prepare and it’s perfect for any holiday entertaining- I serve it for Christmas and Passover and everybody loves it!
The combination of dried prunes, green olives and wine produces a distinctive agrodolce flavour. I like to cut chicken breasts in two so it’s already portioned and it cooks faster than bigger pieces. You can also add chicken tights.
Serves 6
4 chicken breasts bone in (with skin), cut in half
4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely pureed
3 tbsp dried oregano
coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup pitted prunes, halved
1/3 cup pitted green olives- get the big ones in brine, like Cerignola
1/3 cup capers with a bit of juice
3 bay leaves
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white wine
3 tbsp Italian parsley, finely chopped
1. In a large bowl, combine chicken pieces, garlic, oregano, pepper, salt, vinegar, olive oil, prunes, olives, capers and juice, and bay leaves. Cover and let marinate, refrigerated, overnight. (or at least 1 hour)
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Arrange chicken in a single layer in one large, shallow baking pans and spoon marinade over it evenly. P-our white wine around them.
4. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, basting frequently with pan juices.
5. 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.