Chicken with Prunes and Capers

It’s finally March – and it’s feeling a little closer to spring here in NYC. The arrival of daylight savings always marks a turning point, but the lingering chill means our plates are still full of cozy comfort foods.

February brought one of the biggest snowstorms the city has ever seen and I managed to catch one of the worst viruses circulating since COVID, making winter on the east coast feel extra long, dreary, and sleepy.

Meanwhile, my first month of culinary school has flown by. We’ve already covered kitchen sanitation and safety, knife skills, stock-making, and roasting techniques among the early lessons that have been keeping me busy and learning everyday.

To conjure up the warmth of one of my recent California trips, I turned to a recipe from Sonoma’s famous The Girl and the Fig restaurant: Chicken with Prunes and Capers. It’s the kind of dish that feels both rustic and elegant – perfect for weeknights when you have a couple drumsticks and thighs on hand but want something a little more special.

The sweet-and-savory braise tastes luxurious despite it being relatively simple to prepare. I skipped the brandy this time, but feel free to honor the original recipe. You could also try this with rabbit, duck, or turkey.

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Serves: 6

Meat & Marinade:

6 chicken legs, drumsticks and thighs separated

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon

2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage

¼ cup brandy

¼ cup red wine vinegar

¼ cup mixture of olive and canola oil

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

Braise:

1 tablespoon each of olive oil and canola oil

1 cup white wine

1 ½ cups pitted prunes, halved

½ cup pitted green olives

¼ cup capers with juice

3 bay leaves

1 cup chicken stock

¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter

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For the marinade:

Combine the chicken with the garlic, herbs, brandy, red wine vinegar, oil, salt and pepper.

Mix gently, cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, remove the chicken and discard the marinade.

For the braise:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat the oil in a large shallow roasting or frying pan over medium heat. Slowly sear the chicken, skin side down, until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side.

Remove any excess fat from the pan, and deglaze it with the white wine.

Add the prunes, olives, capers with juice, bay leaves, and chicken stock.

Cover with foil and place the pan in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until the chicken is an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Remove the chicken from the pan and keep warm.

Bring the prune mixture to a simmer on the stovetop and add the parsley and butter.

Simmer to blend the ingredients, adjusting seasoning to taste if necessary.

Return the chicken to the sauce and serve.

Adapted from The Girl and the Fig, ($13, Amazon)

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