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Chicken Marsala

Source of Recipe

"Once Upon A Chef: Weeknight/Weekend" by Jennifer Segal


Recipe Introduction

"My mother didn't teach me to cook—to this day, she dreads cooking!—but she did teach me to appreciate good food. When I was growing up, we ate out as a family every Friday and Saturday night, at least until my sister and I were teenagers with plans of our own. Our favorite place was That's Amore, a neighborhood Italian restaurant that served enormous family-sized portions for everyone to share. We always ordered the chicken Marsala, which was tender pan-fried chicken cutlets smothered with plump mushrooms and a rich Marsala wine sauce. Though it feels fancy, it's an easy dish to make at home; with just one pan, you can have it on the table in 45 minutes. The recipe makes a lovely sauce that is delicious over pasta, polenta, rice pilaf, or mashed potatoes."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 large breasts), or chicken tenders
â—¦ 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
â—¦ Salt and freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ 1 tablespoon olive oil
â—¦ 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
â—¦ 1 (8-ounce) package sliced baby bella (or button) mushrooms
â—¦ 3 tablespoons finely chopped shallot (from 1 medium shallot)
â—¦ 2 cloves garlic, minced
â—¦ â…” cup chicken broth
â—¦ â…” cup dry Marsala wine
â—¦ â…” cup heavy cream
â—¦ 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
â—¦ 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley, for serving (optional)


Recipe

Slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally to form four flat fillets. Place a fillet in a resealable freezer bag and use a meat mallet or rolling pin to pound it to an even ¼-inch thickness. Remove the pounded cutlet and set aside. Repeat with the remaining three fillets. (Skip this step if using chicken tenderloins; instead, using the palm of your hand, gently flatten the tenderloins to an even ¼-inch thickness.)

Place the flour, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a resealable freezer bag (use the same one you used for pounding if it's still in good shape). Add the chicken to the bag, seal it tightly, and shake to coat the chicken evenly. Set aside.

Heat the oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Shake off any excess flour from the chicken fillets and place them in the pan. Cook, turning once, until the chicken is golden on both sides and just barely cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes total. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.

Melt the remaining tablespoon butter in the pan. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until they begin to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the shallot, garlic, and ¼ teaspoon of salt; cook until the garlic is fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes more. Add the broth, Marsala, cream, thyme, ¼ teaspoon salt, and â…› teaspoon of pepper; use a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits from the pan into the liquid. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, until the sauce is reduced by about half, slightly thickened, and darkened in color, 10 to 15 minutes. (You're going for a thin cream sauce; it won't start to thicken until the very end of the cooking time.)

Add the chicken back to the pan, along with any juices that accumulated on the plate. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the chicken is warmed through and the sauce thickens a bit more, 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley, if using, and serve.

Serves 4