Easy Caramelized Baked Chicken with Green Olives and Prunes
Adapted from Chocolate and Zucchini. I halved her recipe which was plenty for our family. ClotiIde uses coriander and almonds, but I didn't have any, so I threw in some fresh thyme in the marinade. In the rush of things, I added the wine and sugar to the marinade instead of sprinkling the chicken with sugar and adding the wine just prior to baking - I think it came out just as good. I also adjusted the baking time downward to 40 minutes as the chicken was fully cooked and brown by then in my oven. Feel free to use chicken breast on the bone - my kids just prefer dark meat which is what I used.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds chicken parts on the bone
- 1/3 cup green olives
- 5 ounces pitted prunes roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 1/2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 3 tablespoons dried oregano
- 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme stripped of leaves
- sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
Instructions
Marinade Chicken
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The night before serving, combine chicken, olives, prunes, garlic and bay leaves in a large bowl.
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In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, oregano and thyme, brown sugar and white wine. Season with salt and pepper.
Pour over the chicken and combine until the marinade coats the chicken thoroughly. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Bake Chicken
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
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Place chicken in a baking dish large enough to accommodate it in a single layer (you may need to use two pans). Pour remaining marinade over the chicken.
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Bake for 40-45 minutes, turning the chicken over halfway through, until the juices run clear, the meat is caramelized, and as Clotilde says, "your boyfriend says that really, that chicken smell is torture."