Chicken Marbella with boneless, skinless thighs?

[cherrypoprocks]

I'd like to make Chicken Marbella (http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/mem...) but instead of using quartered chickens, I was wondering if anyone ever tried preparing this dish with boneless, skinless thighs? If so, how did it turn out? Did you make any modifications to the original recipe? Thanks in advance!

[iL Divo]

this recipe sounds wonderful until I read the part about prunes.
I know I'm a sceptic but prunes?
is it for moisture, texture or?
anyway, although I've not made this it does seem like it'd work with thighs which would be my choice anyway, love chicken thigh meat.
let us know if you did it and how it turned out.
thanks for posting.
someone tell me, do I have to include the prunes?

[magiesmom]

of course not, but they balance the olives. the recipe is infinitely variable. I leave in the prunes and cut the sugar way back. But I love prunes.

[Isolda]

I love prunes, but you can use dried apricots or figs, or all three if you like. The only way you can screw up this recipe is to not marinate beforehand or overbake it. (I've done both.) Otherwise, it's really forgiving and flexible.

[petek]

You can substitute dried dates for the prunes. Yummm

[chowser]

I'd only recommend this recipe if you like sweet in your savory. I know people who don't care for it. It would work out w/out the prunes because I think the only thing it adds is more sweetness (in addition to the sugar already added). People who don't care for dried fruit in their meats, won't care for this, imo.

[c oliver]

Wouldn't this be one of those dishes where you can call it whatever you want to but if it doesn't have olives and prunes, then it isn't Chicken Marbella? :)

[chowser]

Depends on whether you want "authentic" Marbella food.;-)

[c oliver]

Ah, yes, "authentic." Always in quotes. We were in Costa del Sol, which includes Marbella, some years ago. I thought it was difficult to find Spanish food, authentic or otherwise.

[Erika L]

I've made this recipe with every variation of chicken pieces you can think of--wings, drums, breasts, thighs, bone in, bone out, skin on, skin out. It works just fine, no matter what kind of chicken pieces you use. (For that matter, exact ratio of chicken:marinade doesn't much matter, either.) Boneless, skinless thighs will stay plenty moist and yes, are much easier for potlucks where people will be standing and/or eating off their laps. In fact, I've made this dish with chunks of boneless, skinless breast specifically for potlucks where I knew that people would be standing and armed only with forks. That's one of the beauties of this recipe--you can't mess it up.

[Joebob]

I want to make this for out-of-town guests. Did you modify the OP recipe and, if so, how? What about cooking time? I was thinking of cutting the breasts into 1" (?) strips and adding them near the end of the cooking time to keep them moist. Comments (by Tues. 4/12) please.

[magiesmom]

as above anything will work. But chunks of breast meat will stay more moist than strips.

[Erika L]

I've done chicken chunks--marinate at least overnight, then put the meat and the marinade into a roasting pan, single layer. I start testing the chicken at 20 - 25 min. Baste at least every 10 min--without skin and in such small pieces, there's a greater chance that the meat will dry out. Small pieces are super flavorful because more surface is in contact with the marinade but you do have to watch for overcooking. I've always done chunks, not strips, so I can't say which will stay moister.

[karykat]

I think it sounds good. Joan Nathan published an adaptation for the recipe with boneless skinless breasts. She may have adjusted cooking time or temp. I think I remember that, so compare this to the original recipe. She makes a few other adaptations too that are explained.

Here's her tweaking: http://leitesculinaria.com/5348/recip...

[ChrisKC]

As a matter of fact, I just had it made with bs thighs last week at my cousin's house. I haven't been able to get it out of my mind, that's how good it was!

[chowser]

It'll be fine. Just check the temperature earlier because it won't take as long. It'll be a lot easier to eat, too.

[todao]

Haven't made this specific recipe but there should be no problem using boneless/skinless thighs. Just check for doneness at about 40 - 45 minutes and adjust cooking time as necessary.