Chicken Andalucia - Serves 8 Ingredients 1 small head garlic -- peeled, minced & mashed to a paste with a little salt 1/2 cup sherry vinegar 1 jar capers -- drained (3 1/2 ounces) 1/3 cup olive oil 2 tablespoons rosemary (minced dried or chopped fresh) 1 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoons pepper 1 cup dried apricots 1 cup pimento-stuffed green olives 2/3 cup dry sherry 1/2 cup honey 6 bay leaves 1 pt cherry tomatoes 1Chicken (about 5 lbs) -- cut into 8-10 pieces, rinsed & dried fresh rosemary sprigs Instructions To make the marinade: Whisk mashed garlic, sherry vinegar, capers, olive oil, rosemary, salt, and pepper in bowl. Stir in apricots, olives, sherry, honey, and bay leaves. Place chicken parts in 2 large sealable plastic freezer bags. Divide marinade between the bags; seal tightly. "Massage" the bags to distribute marinade around chicken. Refrigerate 12-24 hours, massaging bags occasionally. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line one or two baking pans with aluminum foil. Place chicken pieces 1/2 inch apart in pans. Pour marinade over meat, distributing the liquid and solids evenly around the pieces. Tuck cherry tomatoes around the chicken. Bake 60-75 minutes, basting 3 to 4 times while the chicken cooks. Remove chicken from oven. Arrange pieces on a large, deep platter; cover and keep it warm. Let liquid in baking pan stand 10-30 minutes. Spoon off the surface fat. Use a serrated spoon to distribute apricots, olives and cherry tomatoes around the meat; drizzle pan liquid over all. (If there's excess liquid you can transfer it to a saucepan first and reduce it as desired.) Garnish chicken with fresh rosemary sprigs. Serve warm or at room temperature. Recipe Notes One of my favorite party dishes is the Chicken Marbella from Sheila Lukin's and Julee Rosso's classic "Silver Palate Cookbook." I brought it to potlucks for years until, after a trip to southern Spain, I changed the recipe to feature the "local flavor" of sun-drenched Andalucia-apricots, capers, rosemary, sherry and olives. The chicken is glorious looking, has a heady aroma and tastes wonderful whether served warm or at room temperature. Plus, every time I serve the dish someone asks about its origins, so I get to reminisce about the one of the best vacations I ever had. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
