Chicken Marsala
Biweekly

Chicken Marsala

45 min
Serves 9
chickenItalianmushrooms

Pounded chicken cutlets dredged in flour and pan-fried, then finished in a sweet Marsala wine, mushroom, and cream sauce reduced by half.

The Story

Chicken Marsala is one of those Italian-American dishes that became a classic for good reason — it's fast, it's rich, and the sauce is something you want to mop up with bread long after the chicken is gone. The technique is the same as saltimbocca: pound the breasts thin, dredge in seasoned flour, fry in batches over medium-high heat, and hold them warm while you build the sauce in the same pan. The sauce is mushrooms browned in butter, shallot, garlic, then equal parts chicken broth, sweet Marsala wine, and heavy cream reduced by half. That reduction is where the flavor concentrates — don't rush it. When the sauce coats the back of a spoon, add the chicken back in, coat it thoroughly, and serve over penne or polenta.

Equipment

  • Large skillet
  • Stock pot (for pasta)
  • Meat tenderizer

Ingredients

  • 1 boxpenne pasta, cooked
  • 6chicken breast halves, filleted and pounded to 1/4" thick
  • to coatflour, salt, and pepper
  • 2 tbspolive oil
  • 2 tbspbutter
  • 1 qtmushrooms, sliced
  • 1shallot, diced
  • 2 clovesgarlic, minced
  • 2/3 cupchicken broth
  • 2/3 cupsweet Marsala wine
  • 2/3 cupheavy cream

Pudgy's Notes

Pound the chicken to an even 1/4-inch so it cooks in the same time across the whole piece. Cook in batches — crowding the pan steams instead of sears. Don't rush the sauce reduction; it needs to cook down by half before the chicken goes back in or it'll be thin and watery. Sweet Marsala is the right call here — dry Marsala makes the sauce taste sharp.

Instructions

  1. 1

    Cook the penne pasta and set aside. Fillet and pound the chicken breast halves to a 1/4-inch thickness. Dredge each piece in flour seasoned with salt and pepper.

  2. 2

    Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the chicken in batches, about 3 minutes per side, until mostly cooked through. Transfer to a warm oven to hold while you finish the remaining batches.

  3. 3

    In the same skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté until browned, 4–6 minutes.

  4. 4

    Add the diced shallot and cook for 1 minute. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.

  5. 5

    Pour in the chicken broth, Marsala wine, and heavy cream. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a steady medium boil. Cook until the sauce is reduced by half, about 15–20 minutes.

  6. 6

    Return the chicken cutlets to the pan. Coat thoroughly in the sauce and cook for 2 minutes until warmed through.

  7. 7

    Serve over penne pasta or polenta.

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