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 )