Chicken Marsala

[Rachel Perlow]

Chicken Marsala

Serves 2 as Main Dish.

Years ago, I used to order Chicken or Veal Marsala all the time out at restaurants. I was usually disappointed. Overly sweet, orange colored, sometimes gloppy sauces. I stopped ordering it. Jason still orders it, and his frequent disappointment in the dish usually centers on the lack of mushrooms. He likes mushrooms and wants lots of them. The other day he brings home a bottle of Marsala wine and says, "please make me Chicken Marsala." So I do. Even though I've never made it before, I knew the basic technique, having made many dishes of sauteed chicken with white wine sauce, with and without mushrooms. And so, my technique from last night.

• 1 lb skinless boneless chicken breast (that should be 3 breasts)
  
• 1 small onion, sliced
  
• 1 package white button mushroom (10-12 oz), sliced
  
• 1 c Marsala wine (divided)
  
• 1-1/2 c Chicken Stock
  
• Flour
  
• Butter
  
• Olive Oil
  
• Parsley (optional)
  
• salt
  
• pepper
  

Rinse your chicken breasts and thoroughly trim off all skin, fat, sinew, cartilidge, etc. Cut each breast in half horizontally, about 2/3 up from the skinny end (so you get 2 pieces equal in weight). Place chicken breast pieces, one at a time, between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound thin (about 1/3 inch even across the meat, you will have 6 cutlets). Salt & pepper the chicen cutlets and then coat them with flour, dusting off any extra flour.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet. When hot, add a little butter and olive oil, when hot, add the onions. Reduce heat and saute until onions are transluscent. Add mushrooms and raise heat. Saute until mushrooms are browned and limp. Sprinkle 1 Tbs. of flour over mushrooms, stir to kind of make a roux. Stir in 1/2 cup Marsala wine, deglazing pan for a minute or so, then stir in the chicken stock. Stir and simmer for about 5 minutes. The sauce with thicken slightly. Remove from skillet and set aside.

While the sauce has been cooking, you would have pounded the chicken breasts and coated them with flour. Wipe out your skillet, put it back over heat, add a little more butter & oil. When hot, brown the chicken cutlets in two batches, for 2 minutes per side. Remove them to a plate or the oven to keep warm (I set my toaster oven to 150 to keep them warm). When done, drain any leftover fat from the pan.

Add remaining 1/2 cup Marsala wine (CAUTION: this may flame, so have pan lid handy and don't pour directly from the bottle) and use a flat wooden spatula to deglaze the pan. Return sauce to the skillet and stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Taste for seasoning. Return cutlets to skillet and simmer for a few minutes. The sauce should thicken again, just slightly. Remove from heat.

Push chicken to the side and whisk a few teaspoons of very cold butter into the sauce. Shake and swirl the pan to finish the sauce. Sprinkle with parsley.

Serve over linquine or with rice pilaf.

Keywords: Main Dish, Intermediate, Chicken, Dinner, Lunch, Sauce, Italian

( RG865 )

[AlaMoi]

we're on our third or fourth gorge with this recipe - it's pretty darn simple and really good:

 

(originally attributed to Giada De Laurentiis)

 

roughly one pound of chicken - breast or whatever you prefer.  cut into large chunks, salt, brown in (olive) oil - get a nice color but do not cook through - pink/super rare in the middle is best.

 

remove the chicken from the pan, add one cup medium chopped onion - I like to use 50:50 yellow onion and leek - salt a bit; saute until translucent.

add 2-3 cloves finely diced garlic.

chop slice (I meant...) and add one pound of (edit: sliced) cremini mushrooms; no substitutes!  it's a major flavor to the dish.

salt pepper lightly, when the onion+mushroom mix is about out of liquid, add one cup dry (Florio) marsala

 

reduce by half then add 2-3 tablespoons Dijon mustard + 8 ounces by weight mascarpone cheese.

 

stir to incorporate, reduce heat, cut chicken chunks to bite size, add back to pan.

simmer at a low heat until the chicken has warmed through.

 

I like it served over fettuccine - but other pasta per preference.

 

it's about a 40 minute start to eat dish - 10 minutes chicken prep&brown; 20 minutes for the onion&mushroom mix; 10 minutes to heat through.

one pound of mushrooms will make enough for two plus a left over lunch on toast.

Edited December 18, 2015 by AlaMoi (log)

[Okanagancook]

Should you prefer a little more complicated recipe for a weekend meal I can't recommend this one enough having just made it with a friend and served to three 'foodies' who swooned over it:  https://www.cooksillustrated.com/recipes/8562-better-chicken-marsala

 

The Porchini mushrooms really add a depth of earthiness but you still have the creminis for texture.  It's not really that labour intensive....one could always make the reduction ahead of time.

cheers

[AlaMoi]

(sigh) it's blurred out by a you-must-join-screen that's uncloseable.

[Okanagancook]

AlaMoi, click on the video on the right hand side.  That showed me the whole recipe.

[rotuts]

Ive made that Cook's Rx several times.  it really is very nice.

[AlaMoi]

aaaaaaah.  thanks for the (video) tip.  it is a bit more involved - I'll have to give it a go and compare.

I'm suspecting the mascarpone is the key to 'duplicating' the sauce consistency/richness.