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My good friend Jeneen turned me onto this recipe over ten years ago when food allergies where unheard of and massive amounts of sugar didn’t phase me a bit. A famous recipe that originated in a cookbook called the The Silver Palate, this recipe is well known and loved. There is an unusual combination of ingredients in this recipe, but don’t be put off…this recipe is beloved for a reason. A veritable party in your mouth of contrasting flavors and textures!
Some purists might balk at a tweaking of a good thing. But with 1 cup of brown sugar called for, and a very soupy sauce left in the bottom of the pan (my husband would lament that sauciness, and I aim to please), I knew I wanted to change some things for our family. My original intention was to just reduce the sweetener and use palm sugar…but then I wondered: what would happen if I left it out altogether? After all prunes are super sweet in and of themselves…could I rely on them for that sweet and savory combination many of us love so well?
The end result of this luscious dish is succulent pieces of tender chicken with a perfect marriage of sweet and salty. Even better the skin caramelizes in the pan without a bath of juice to sit in! Enjoy, a super super easy, hands-off dinner that will please the masses.
Incidentally, if any of you would like to add the last couple of ingredients for more sauce.. when you are ready to bake, sprinkle the marinated pieces with about 1/4 cup palm sugar, followed by 1/2 cup white wine and bake as directed.
PS: I leave the olives out because I have never been able to get my taste buds around them. Forgive me, I am less than perfect!
PSS: These chicken pieces are great hot OR cold!
- 4 pounds bone-in chicken pieces, with skin ( I used drumsticks and thighs)
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 7 cloves of garlic
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- ⅓ cup halved or quartered prunes
- ¼ cup capers w/ juice
- 8 green olives – halved (optional)
- 2 bay leaves
- In a blender, puree red wine vinegar through the sea salt until the garlic is smooth.
- Pour into a container large enough to hold all your chicken pieces (a Ziploc bag would work too).
- Add the remaining ingredients and mix to blend marinade ingredients.
- Add your chicken pieces, and make sure all pieces are evenly coated and touched by the goodness!
- Place in the fridge and marinate 24 HOURS!! No, a couple of hours is not the same, so RESIST!
- When you are ready to cook, remove the pieces and place them in a large roasting pan with all the marinade.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
- Roast the chicken for 45-60 minutes until well cooked and the the skin in golden brown and crispy.
This recipe was shared on GF Wednesday, Kids in the Kitchen, Healthy 2Day Wednesday, Wheat Free Wednesday, Frugal Days Sustainable Ways, Whole Foods Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday, Keep It Real Thursday, Simple Lives Thursday, Thank Your Body Thursday, Pennywise Platter, Fill Those Jars Friday, GF Fridays, Freaky Friday, GAPS Friendly Friday, Fight Back Friday, Whole Foods Friday, Simple Meals Friday, Seasonal Sunday, Sugar-Free Sunday, Monday Mania, Better Mom’s Linky, Make Your Own Monday, Natural Living Mondays, GF Mondays, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, Hearth & Soul, Traditional Tuesdays,
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When her third child was born with severe food allergies, Tessa took to the kitchen to figure out how to feed her family well. Always up for a culinary challenge, their journey has taken many twists and turns! Lots of Paleo, and lots of top 8 free. Good food for families, that's what she's about!
This looks wonderful. Pinning to make later! Yum.
Looks great! Did you cook it in your cast iron skillet? Is there a substitution for the capers? I don’t usually have those on hand.
Hi Linda! I have cooked it in my cast iron, and a roasting ban…a full recipe doesn’t fit in my cast iron! Since there are so many layers of flavor in the recipe, leave the capers out if you don’t have them. They add a great flavor, but it will be good without them too…nothing really mimics them…except for green olives which are in there anyways!
How interesting–prunes and olives! I love olives, and the sweetness of the prunes would be great with them. Thanks for sharing!
Love the flavors in this dish Tessa! I imagine capers and chicken pair beautifully together.
thank you for linking up with Kids in the Kitchen! love it – pinning and tweeting
You are so right about the marinade time! Salt pulls the water out of the chicken, making salt water. Then it all gets pulled back into the chicken together. If you take it out too soon, the chicken is dry!
Ok, enough marinade wonkiness.
This looks wonderful! I got some broiler chickens from a local farm and this would be a great recipe for one.
Bonnie
http://www.HungryChickenHomestead.com
But marinade science if helpful Bonnie! Thanks for your comment!
I’ll forgive you for leaving the olives out, I can always add them in. I love this healthified version! Beautiful as well Tessa.
It sounds so delicious!!!
This looks soooo delicious! I’m definitely pinning this to make SOON.
Thanks for linking up to Thank Your Body Thursday!
http://www.thankyourbody.com
Thanks for linking up at Gluten Free Fridays! I have this tweeted and pinned!
This sounds great!I would love to have you share this on Thursday at Tasty Traditions: myculturedpalate.com
I made this for dinner last night (after marinating for the required 24 hours!). My boyfriend and I loved it. I left out the capers because I didn’t have any, but I did add the green olives. Thanks for sharing!
http://www.naturallyminimalist.com
Awesome Zan, thank you for coming back and letting me know!
Mmmm I am going to have to try this! We would exclude capers and olives because my husband is weird.
Thanks for sharing on Simple Meals Friday!
I like this recipe so much that I will be featuring it this week on Gluten-Free Monday at OneCreativeMommy.com. Please stop by and grab a featured button if you’d like. I hope you’ll be back to link up again on Monday.
I’ve pinned this one, Tessa. It sounds SO good! I love the sweet/salty flavours and it is wonderful how you have made the recipe so much healthier. I like the addition of the prunes too.
Thanks April…I agree the sweet and salty is a great combo!
Delicious. My mom used to make the non-paleo version of this recipe as a kid. As much as I enjoyed this, I think the ratio of toppings (olives, capers, and prunes) to chicken is too low and I’d recommend tripling these toppings. Also add some chicken stock so the marinade can be large enough to penetrate all the chicken.
Thanks for posting!
Easy enough to add more of those things LBC….my husband wishes I’d leave out the prunes…but everyone has their preferences…and mine include the prunes! Thanks so much for the feedback, readers find it so helpful!