David's Chicken Marsala

Sometimes there are dishes that have a broad appeal.  I think that is the way with David Lebovitz's Chicken Marsala  recipe.  I first saw it on his blog, here.   Then Monique at La Table De Nana tried it and said it was worth making again.  That was followed by Penny at Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen who had also seen Monique's post and made a variation.  Well, there you have it...from my perspective, Chicken Marsala was a must to make.  Monique mentioned that she only used two chicken breasts but didn't reduce the sauce accordingly.  That was a great recommendation and as Monique says, "You can't have too much sauce."  That is what I did...and I agree with Monique!

This is one recipe that I can see being repeated for company or just the two of us.  It was delicious and worthy of numerous repetitions!

Chicken Marsala

adapted from David Lebovitz's blog Living the Sweet Life in Paris

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in half crosswise
salt and freshly ground pepper
10 oz mushrooms, stems trimmed and sliced
3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup chicken stock
1 tsp corn starch
2/3 cup Marsala wine (preferably dry)
1 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp chopped parsley

Place the breasts in a ziplock or between sheets of wax paper and pound to 1/2-inch thickness.  Place in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.  Set aside.

In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter over high heat.  When butter sizzles, add the sliced mushrooms, season with salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally until the mushrooms are seared and cooked through, 6-8 minutes.  Add the minced garlic to the mushrooms and cook, stirring for about a minute.

Scrape the mushrooms and garlic onto a plate.  Wipe the pan clean to remove any bits of garlic.

Dredge half of the chicken in flour, shake off any excess.  Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter.  Add the chicken in a single layer, do not crowd.  If you are using a large skillet and they won't be crowded, all of the breasts may be cooked at once.

Saute the breasts, cooking and turning midway until browned on both sides.  When browned remove them to a plate.  If cooking half of the chicken at a time, repeat the above with the remaining chicken pieces.  While the chicken is cooking, stir the cornstarch into the chicken stock until completely dissolved, then mix it into the Marsala.

When the chicken has been removed from the pan, pour about one-third of the Marsala mixture into the pan, scraping up any browned bits.  Add the remaining Marsala mixture to the pan, then return the mushrooms and the chicken pieces to the skillet.

Cook the chicken and mushrooms with the sauce over a medium heat.  Turn the chicken pieces occasionally to make certain that they are basted in the sauce.  Continue cooking until the chicken is cooked and the sauce has thickened, about 5-6 minutes.  Remove from the heat.  Stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter, the balsamic vinegar and the chopped parsley.  Taste the sauce and season with salt if needed.

Serve the Chicken Marsala with warm, wide noodles.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

We had enough left over for a second meal.  We were both sorry to see it disappear!

I am sharing today at Full Plate Thursday hosted by Miz Helen's Country Cottage.