The original version used chicken quarters or a cut- up chicken, but I often served small legs as a delicious appetizer ----- good at room temperature as well as warm, making one less item that had to be transported and carefully kept piping hot. At that time wings were not ubiquitous, as they are now, and small legs were a fun surprise on an appetizer buffet.
If you use boneless chicken parts, reduce the cooking time a bit, but be sure to allow it to bake long enough to get that deep color and absorb the sweet brown-sugar wine sauce. And don't skip the dried plums & capers, they are important elements.
If you aren't familiar with the dish, you might want to know that the correct pronunciation is Mar-bay-ah. Marbella, Spain is on the beach in the province of Malaga, in the heart of the Costa del Sol, olive & caper country.
Quarter or cut up 1 chicken into desired parts, leaving skin and bone on.
Make a marinade of 1 TB finely minced garlic, 1 1/2 TB oregano, a good splash of red wine vinegar and a same-size splash of olive oil, salt and pepper, 1/2 c. pitted prunes ( dried plums), 1/3 c. pitted Spanish olives, 1/3 c. capers with a bit of juice, 2 TB minced fresh parsley, 2 bay leaves.
Place chicken in a shallow ceramic or plastic dish or plastic zipper bag, add the marinate and jiggle to distribute the marinade. Refrigerate overnight or for 24 hours. Turn the bag a few times.
Arrange chicken in a single layer in a shallow baking pan, just large enough to fit all the pieces, spooning the marinade over. An ovenproof skillet works, too. Top each piece with part of 1/3 c. brown sugar, and pour about 1/3 c white wine into the pan around the chicken. I prefer white port, but use what you have. Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 40-60 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken pieces. Check done-ness for clear juices to run when pierced.
Serve with the marinade and the delicious pan drippings spooned over. Garnish with chopped flat-leaf parsley, or a bit of chopped chives or green onion tops for color.
