This is one of the original dishes we started making at The Gourmet Grocer in Wembley, Perth in 1991. It quickly became a favourite of many customers as a take home meal. The original recipe came from The Silver Palate Cookbook from New York. In later years we used chicken drumettes instead of drumsticks or thighs for a tapas version for the New Norcia Bakeries cafe in Mt Hawthorn, Perth.
We still turn to this delicious dish periodically due to the fact most of the preparation is done before so that on the day it is very much cook and serve. Just make sure you have plenty of fresh bread to mop up all the delicious sauce.
Ingredients
8 chicken pieces skin-on (we usually use bone in thighs and drumsticks but it has worked equally well with skin-on boneless thighs and as explained above, chicken drumettes.)
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tbsp dried Greek oregano or 2 tbsp fresh oregano
2tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup of pitted prunes cut in half (100gm)
100gm pitted kalamata olives
1tbsp capers in brine with some of the liquid
2 bay leaves
salt
fresh ground black pepper
50gm brown sugar
50ml dry white wine
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley to serve
Method
The day before serving arrange chicken pieces in a shallow ovenproof dish.
In a bowl combine all other ingredients except the brown sugar, wine and parsley.
Include a good teaspoon of salt and a generous grinding of black pepper.
Pour this over the chicken, cover with cling film and refrigerate overnight.
The next day remove from the refrigerator and allow to come back to room temperature.
Set oven to 200C.
Turn the chicken skin side up, sprinkle with the brown sugar then drizzle the white wine over and place the dish in the oven.
Bake for 1 hour, basting a few times until cooked through and golden.
If you are serving from the baking dish, check the seasoning and adjust if necessary then sprinkle over the parsley and serve.
Alternatively, check the seasoning then transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle with the parsley.
Don't forget the fresh bread to mop up all the delectable pan juices.
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