Name: Slow-Cooker Chicken Marbella
Total time: 6 h
Ingredients: 8 (5- to 7-ounce) bone-in chicken thighs , trimmed; 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt , divided; 1 teaspoon pepper , divided; 1/2 cup pitted green olives; 1/2 cup plus ⅓ cup pitted prunes , halved, divided; 3 tablespoons capers , divided; 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar; 3 garlic cloves , minced; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 1 cup chicken broth; 1/4 cup dry white wine; 1 tablespoon orange juice; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Why This Recipe Works

Chicken Marbella first appeared in Sheila Lukins and Julee Rosso's The Silver Palate Cookbook. Since then, this braised chicken dish—which calls for the chicken to be cooked in a bold, surprising, salty-sweet combination of prunes and olives—has become beloved and treasured, and for good reason. We set out to achieve a slow-cooker version as beautiful as the original. To render off excess fat (and rid the finished dish of it), we began by cooking the chicken skin side down in a skillet. Pureeing a prune-olive mixture in the food processor allowed for both ease of preparation and maximum flavor transfer. Adding some of the mixture to the slow cooker up front and then some just before serving yielded braised chicken with both depth and fresh, vibrant flavor.

Before You Begin

Serve with crusty bread or couscous.

Instructions

Pat chicken dry with paper towels and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Place chicken, skin side down, in cold 12-inch nonstick skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until fat is rendered and skin is well browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to slow cooker, skin side up.

Pulse olives, ½ cup prunes, 2 tablespoons capers, brown sugar, garlic, oregano, pepper flakes, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and remaining ½ teaspoon pepper in food processor until finely chopped, about 10 pulses. Set aside ¼ cup olive mixture.

Distribute remaining olive mixture over chicken. Add broth, wine, and remaining ⅓ cup prunes. Cover and cook until chicken is tender, 4 to 6 hours on low.

Transfer chicken to shallow serving platter. Stir orange juice, reserved olive mixture, and remaining 1 tablespoon capers into sauce in slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce over chicken and sprinkle with parsley. Serve.