Friends and Family at Rosh Hashanah Dinner at Regena's

It was the beginning of the Jewish New Year and the end of an era.

This year I celebrated Rosh Hashanah with Regena Thomashauer and her family and friends. Hollywood hottie Heather Graham was there too, and I cooked Chicken Marbella to honor my long-time friend Sheila Lukins, who recently passed away. Sheila was my boss for two years in the early 80′s, as  I worked for her at the Silver Palate.

When I opened Flavors Catering and Carry-out in the early 90’s on West 18^th Street, Sheila came to my store opening and blessed it. She wasn’t my boss any longer, and we were good friends.  She came to many of my “Chef and Foodie” Pot Luck dinners in the Hamptons and invited me to her home as well.

Her dinners were truly memorable. One time Sheila threw a small dinner for 10 people in her newly renovated and totally charming home in Sag Harbor.  It happened to be one of the hottest nights of the summer, and there was no air conditioning in her home, but that didn’t stop her!  She sweated her way through the preparations and made the most incredible meal.  We all ate well and drank like fish. The meal was Provencal Fish Stew with Aioli and a platter of the most gorgeous summer vegetables. We had a lot of laughs  and forever joked about that hot summer night.

Then there was the dinner she gave in her gorgeous apartment in the Dakota. I sat next to Ted Allen, and Dana Cowin was also there.  Sheila served meat loaf that night and she showed us her collection of photos. She was so proud of her two daughters and her grandchildren.

I will always remember my dear friend Sheila Lukins….her deep magical voice and her wonderful warped sense of humor and of course, her passion for the recipes she created for all of us to enjoy.

When I worked at the Silver Palate, we dished out Chicken Marbella every single day. I would always take the leftovers home.  But I don’t think I ever cooked it or ate it again until I dusted off the recipe and made it for Regena and her guests.

It’s such a perfect party dish.. the combination of sweet and salty.. the prunes, olives and capers combined with the vinegar, garlic and red wine. Full of flavor and great hot or cold. It was a very racy when she first created it, but today  it’s become a household name… delicious!

I served it with the brisket recipe from my cookbook, Pamela Morgan’s Flavors, and the side dishes were roasted mushrooms, string beans and quinoa with toasted pine nuts. Dessert was chocolate angel food cake with whipped cream, fresh berries  and coconut gelato. Pure pleasure!

Chicken Marbella
(Adapted from the Silver Palate Cookbook)

Servings: 6-8 Servings

Ingredients
2 chickens, 2 1/2 pounds each, quartered
1 head of garlic, peeled and finely pureed
1/4 cup dried oregano
coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup pitted prunes
1/2 cup pitted Spanish green olives
1/2 cup capers with a bit of juice
6 bay leaves
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white wine
1/4 cup Italian parsley or fresh coriander (cilantro), finely chopped
Note:   I like more prunes and more olives in my dish.  So I used 2 cups prunes and 1 cup olive oil

Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl combine chicken quarters, garlic, oregano, pepper and coarse salt to taste, vinegar, olive oil, prunes, olives, capers and juice, and bay leaves. Cover and let marinate, refrigerated for at least 6 hours or overnight. Arrange chicken in a single layer in one or two large, shallow baking pans and spoon marinade over it evenly. Sprinkle chicken pieces with brown sugar and pour white wine around them. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, basting frequently with pan juices. Chicken is done when thigh pieces, pricked with a fork at their thickest, yield clear yellow (rather than pink) juice. With a slotted spoon transfer chicken, prunes, olives and capers to a serving platter. Moisten with a few spoonfuls of pan juices and sprinkle generously with parsley or cilantro. Pass remaining pan juices in a sauceboat. To serve Chicken Marbella cold, cool to room temperature in cooking juices before transferring to a serving platter. If chicken has been covered and refrigerated, allow it to return to room temperature before serving. Spoon some of the reserved juices over chicken.