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Chicken Marbella with Root Vegetable Gratin
A nostalgic crowd-pleaser that’s sticky, juicy, and full of flavour. Use any root veg you have, throw in leftover cheese, or go vegan with pumpkin and butter beans. Effortless and delicious every time.
A nostalgic crowd-pleaser that’s sticky, juicy, and full of flavour. Use any root veg you have, throw in leftover cheese, or go vegan with pumpkin and butter beans. Effortless and delicious every time.
This dish is an old-school crowd favourite—sticky, sweet, sour, salty, juicy, and effortlessly satisfying. It's a deliciously decadent addition to any dinner table and works beautifully with any combination of root vegetables you have on hand. Want to try a vegan twist? Swap the chicken for chunky wedges of pumpkin and a can of drained butter beans. It’s also the perfect opportunity to use up those stray bits of cheese hiding in the fridge—cheddar, camembert, blue… whatever you’ve got will add a rich and comforting depth. Fill your boots!
Chicken Marbella
SERVES 6
Ingredients
8 chicken legs, drumstick and thigh attached, skin on
8 garlic cloves, peeled
2-3 sprigs fresh oregano, or
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup pitted green olives
2 tbsp capers, + 2 tbs of their juices
1/2 cup prunes
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tbsp honey
3/4 tsp salt
Pepper to taste
Method
In a deep roasting dish, toss everything together. Arrange in an even layer. Cover in cling film and place in the fridge for at least a couple of hours, but anywhere up to 24 hours. Uncover and place in a preheated oven at 1800C for about 50 minutes or until the chicken is deep golden, spooning over the juices a couple of times throughout the cooking process. Serve with buttery mashed potato, a simple rocket salad, or this root vegetable gratin.
Root Vegetable Gratin
SERVES 8
Ingredients
1.5kg root vegetables: Butternut squash, pumpkin, kumara, parsnip, potato, fennel, carrot
2 cups cream
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 cup freshly grated parmesan
Fresh thyme or rosemary, finely chopped
25g butter, cut into small cubes
1.5 tsp salt
0.5 tsp pepper
1 heaped tbsp dijon mustard
Method
Wash and peel your choice of root vegetables. Using a mandolin, or putting your knife skills to the test, slice everything around 2mm thick.
In a large mixing bowl, add the cream, garlic, herbs, 1/2 cup grated parmesan, dijon mustard, salt, and pepper.
Mix together, then toss through the sliced vegetables. Layer it all up into a lasagne dish, pouring any remaining cream over the top. Scatter over the cubes of butter, cover with foil, and bake at 1800C for 1 hour.
Remove the foil, add the remaining cup of parmesan, and continue cooking for around 15-30 minutes, until the top is bubbling and a knife can be inserted without any resistance.
Words by Madeleine Hughes
Photography by Erin Cave
