Iberian Dinner Party Fare

A bit of history. Sometime around 700 AD an army of North African Muslims (then called Moors), led by a Berber General named Gibril Tarik, crossed the Strait of Gibraltar (after whom it is named) and, within a few years, conquered the south of Spain and much of Portugal. While the Moorish presence on the Iberian peninsula had shrunk considerably as quickly as 300 years later, one small section of the Spanish Mediterranean coast remained under Islamic rule until the late in the 15th century.

Much has been said about the role the Moorish invaders played in maintaining the vast majority of western culture's scientific and philosophical body of knowledge. While the rest of Europe was languishing in the Dark Ages, the Moors had acquired the learnings of the Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians, as well as learnings from India and other eastern neighbors. Unlike European scholars, who focused mostly on biblical study and did not offer education to the masses, the Moorish scholars studied widely and offered everyone access to public libraries and education. It was only when Christian armies reconquered the Moorish territories and captured their manuscripts that this knowledge was rediscovered by Europeans.

By 1492 the last of the Moorish territories had been reconquered. This final stronghold in the south had been in African hands for nearly 800 years. The architecture of the area still bears the marks of Islamic rule. Some of the food does as well.

The resort town Marbella, located on the Mediterranean coast, was under Muslim control until 1485. The Moors built a fortified castle there during their rule, but the town itself remained barely populated until it became a resort town for European Royalty and the wealthy in the 1950's.

How the American 70's classic dinner party dish know as Chicken Marbella, with its vaguely Moorish flavors, is related to any of this history, I have no idea. I actually doubt the dish and the place are connected at all, other than through some clever dish naming, but don't you think history is just fascinating, huh? Huh?

Anyway, here's another take on Chicken Marbella.



I should note that this dish suffers from two problems I've mentioned in previous posts: bad association with an ingredient (prunes, I usually call them “dried fruits” when I describe this dish) and it does not photograph well. Trust me, it is good. Damn good.

2 spatchcock (baby chicken), whole, wings removed at the first joint
1 cup pitted prunes
½ cup green olives
½ cup capers
6 cloves garlic crushed with the flat side of a knife
1 sprig oregano, leaves only
3 bay leaves
½ cup red wine vinegar
½ cup olive oil
½ cup dark brown sugar
1 cup dry white wine

Combine the prunes, olives, capers, garlic, herbs, vinegar, and oil. Marinate the whole chickens in this overnight, turning once. The next day, heat your oven to 170º C (325ºF) . Strain the solids out of the marinade, reserving both the liquid and solids. Stuff the two spatchcocks with the solids and then truss them. Place them in a pot or dish with a tight-fitting lid, pour the reserved liquids in, add the white wine and sprinkle the brown sugar over the top. Season and braise, covered, for approximately one hour, until the birds are cooked and tender, but not dry. Top with gremolata (below) and serve with something to soak up the sticky juices, like pilaf.

Gremolata
2 tbsp chopped coriander
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tsp lemon zest
2 tbsp toasted pine nuts, rough chop

Combine all the ingredients. That's all I'm going to say.