This is the recipe that started the whole idea for this site. Basically, a friend asked what he could make for a special dinner with a special lady. So my wife suggested Chicken Marsala and said that was the dish that turned her into Mrs. Pierro!
This may not be the most traditional method but it’s sure to win the heart of that special someone.
Buy this:
1 lb thin cut chicken breast or tenderlions
1 medium sweet (vidala) or white onion
1 bulb of garlic
8 oz fresh sliced mushrooms
16 oz bottle of marsala cooking wine (better wine = better sauce)
italian parsely or basil (only need a little bit to sprinkle on at end (fresh = better)
Make sure you have:
olive oil – first cold pressed (remember?)
butter (no margarine)
flour
salt
pepper
Basically, you’re gonna cook the chicken first, then set aside to make sauce and put the chicken back in so make sure you use a sauce pan with high sides or wok big enough for the whole dish. If you want to make potatoes, put them in the oven first. Make the veggies while the sauce is simmering.
1. Prep ingredients – Fine chop on the onion and 4-5 garlic cloves depending on how you like it. Pour some flour into a dish or bowl big enough for one piece of chicken at a time and season with salt and pepper. Put pan on stove, medium heat and pour in enough olive oil to cover bottom of pan generously. The oil should get hot but NOT smoking or you will burn everything.
2. Cook chicken – Rinse off a piece of chicken and shake off excess water. Pat down in flour just enough to put on a fine layer. Lay into pan – if it sizzles, you’re good. If not, turn up heat. If it splatters and pops, turn down the heat. Repeat for each piece until pan is full. You only need to cook for a minute or two on each side until turning light brown. Pull each piece off when cooked and set aside on paper towel.
3. Make sauce – If the pan is nasty with chicken bits and burnt flour, clean it out and start over. Same thing again – medium heat, coat with olive oil and add diced onions. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sweat onions for a few minutes until soft and add garlic. When you can smell the garlic cooking (another minute or two) add in the mushrooms and turn up the heat a bit (wash mushrooms first!). Keep everything moving in pan so nothing burns. After a couple minutes, add 2-3 tablespoons of cold butter and keep stirring the shrooms. By now everything should be pretty hot and shrooms should be softening up. Once that happens, pour in enough of the marsala wine to cover everything (should be about 3/4 of a 16 oz bottle so shrooms are just barely floating). Bring to boil and cook for 3-5 minutes until the alcohol burns off.
4. Simmer – Turn heat to low and add back in pieces of chicken. Cover and let simmer for 15-20 minutes. Vent the lid to let some steam out so sauce thickens up. If you want a thicker sauce, you’ll need to wisk in some flour right before you serve it. Make a thin paste (no lumps!) with a little flour and liquid from the sauce. add little by little to the sauce until it thickens up. Skip this part if sauce looks good after simmering. Last step is to taste and add salt if needed.
5. Serve – Put pieces of chicken on plate and spoon over sauce and mushrooms. Sprinkle with parsley or basil.
Veggies: Do this while sauce is simmering
Use any combination of asparagas, zuccini, squash, onions, peppers but make sure all are cut about the same size so they cook evenly. You can just do just asparagas or zuccini & squash, etc. If you use asparagas, make sure you cut the bottom half of the asparagas off – you only want the top half and tips. Finely slice 2-3 more garlic cloves and add to pan with olive oil on medium heat. Add in the veggies, season with salt and pepper, and saute until just getting soft and bright in color, then turn off heat and plate with the marsala.
Potatoes: – Do this first so they cook while you make the rest
Get small whole potatoes. Any kind will do, but whole small ones are best. Preheat oven to 375. It’s best if you preheat the baking pan with some oil in it too (british way!). Clean potatoes and cut off any nasty bits but don’t remove skin. Toss potatoes in oil and salt and pepper and add to baking pan. Cook in oven for 45-60 minutes or so until roasted. This can cook while you are doing everything else and just turn them off when done and leave in oven while you prepare the other stuff.
Buon Appetito!
Tip: For a quicker, easier option, skip the veggies and potatoes and just serve over your favorite pasta. Garlic bread is always a nice complement too.