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.

850g Boneless thighs=1/2 recipe

This has been my go to recipe for years. A true crowd pleaser.

Used 10 chicken thighs, plus 1.5 packages of tofu, dividing marinade. Per a different recipe: cut slashes in the skin; used 1/2 cup sugar, sprinkling some sugar going in and the rest halfway through (they came out beautifully brown). Did not transfer or reduce juices but served in platter. Wish there had been more prune+olives; next time 1.5x the mix-ins. For tofu, next time cut to smaller bites and add extra liquid since it didn't produce juice like the chickens. A+ including the tofu!

If you are cooking for Passover, you should make sure that the red wine vinegar you use is specifically kosher for Passover. I recently learned that vinegar is governed by the same rules for Passover as wine is. NYT may want to consider adding a note that if you are making this for Passover, you should use red wine vinegar that is specifically kosher for Passover.

Most delicious dish ever!

I have been making this for years but now use boneless skinless chicken thighs so it is much easier to cook and serve. Thanks for the tip!

Hello! Could dates be subbed for the prunes?

One of my favorite recipes.I usually make this without the brown sugar. The dish is sweet enough with only the dried prunes.

Easy and elegant. Love.

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.