Chicken Marsala

Late night menu planning pointed toward Chicken Marsala as the protein du jour. An evening of collaborative culinary efforts yielded a dish I've only ever tasted, increasing my familiarity with marsala. Reducing the wine while dredging the chicken increased kitchen efficiency while purposefully concentrating the flavor. The method to it all is simple, yielding a lightly fried protein with a deliciously flavored sauce for an intimate dinner party of four. Enjoy!!

Ingredients

Prep Time: ~30min

Servings: 4

4 Chicken Breasts, boneless, skinless
1/3 Cup All Purpose Flour
1/3 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
10oz Crimini Mushrooms, sliced
3 Tbsp Butter, unsalted
1 Cup Marsala Wine
1 Cup Chicken Broth
1 Tbsp Corn Starch
Salt + Pepper, for taste

The Chicken - Flatten each of the chicken breasts until a little less than half a knuckle in height. On a large plate, combine the flour with salt and pepper. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil on medium-high heat. Lightly coat both sides of each breast with the flour and carefully place into the heated oil. Cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side, until a brown crisp forms. Remove to a paper towel to absorb excess oil before plating and covering in foil to keep warm.

The Sauce - While the chicken cooks, reduce the marsala wine in a small saucepan on medium heat to about half. Reduce the heat of the large chicken saucepan to medium and cook the mushrooms with the butter and pan drippings, sprinkling with salt and pepper for taste. Stir in the marsala reduction, cooking until light bubbles form. Whisk the corn starch into the chicken broth and pour into the sauce. Allow to cook on medium until lightly thickened and reduce to a simmer to keep warm. If the pan is accommodating, return the chicken to simmer in the sauce before serving.

Note - if the breasts do not fit into the pan, preheat an oven to 400 degrees while the sauce is being prepared. Lay the breasts in a large baking pan, cover with the sauce, and heat through for 5 minutes.