Chicken Marsala

I think I’m pretty creative in the kitchen.  I like to try new things so that I don’t get bored.  I don’t like to repeat meals too often, even our family favorites. I am constantly pinning drool worthy recipes and putting the latest celebrity cookbooks on my wish list so that I always have some ready to make.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about hobbies and what mine might be exactly.  At my age, I think the list of things that you enjoy doing in your spare time can dwindle if you’re not careful.  It might not be terribly exciting, but I think I can safely list cooking as one of my hobbies.

I like to cook, and I love it when other people cook for me.  

My husband likes to make breakfast, his new obsession is making Sausage Gravy.  Tasty but not good for the waistline.  

My daughter is home from college and made tacos for us last week.  (She cooks if I promise to do the dishes.)  

On New Years Eve, my friend Tammi made Chicken Marsala for us before we welcomed in 2019.  Such a classic dish, and I couldn’t stop eating it.  It was delicious. Thankfully, she was happy to share the recipe, as I don’t think that I’ve made Chicken Marsala before.  (If I did, the recipe definitely wasn’t as wonderful as this one.)  No worries, it’s pretty simple and the ingredients are nothing too out of the ordinary.  (except for the Marsala wine which you can find at most grocery stores and/or the liquor store). 

I did make a few tweaks to Tammi’s version.  I used bacon instead of prosciutto.  I don’t think you can go wrong with either choice.  Sometimes when you cook with wine or beer, the flavor can be over powering.  But the Marsala wine is sweet and blends very well with the mushrooms and bacon.  I hope that you will be a impressed as I was with this dish.

 

Chicken Marsala

Ingredients:

(4) Skinless, Boneless, Chicken Breasts

Flour, for dredging

Salt and Black Pepper

Olive Oil

4 ounces Bacon, cut into 2 inch pieces

8 ounces Mushrooms

1 cup Sweet Marsala Wine

1/2 cup Chicken Stock

2 Tablespoons Butter

1/8 cup Dried Parsley

Directions:

Put the chicken breasts side by side on a cutting board and lay a place of plastic wrap over them, pound with a mallet until they are about 1/4 inch thick.  The chicken breasts from Johnnies are not thick to begin with, so a few hits with the mallet should do it.  Put the flour in a shallow plate and season with salt and pepper, mix to distribute evenly.

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet.  When the oil is hot, dredge both sides of the chicken breasts in the seasoned flour, shaking off the excess.  Slip the breasts into the pan and fry for 5 minutes on each side, until golden brown, turning once. 

Do this in batches if the pieces don’t fit comfortably in the pan.  When browned, remove the chicken to a large platter and lay in a single layer to keep warm.

Lower the heat to medium and add the bacon to the drippings in the pan. Saute for a few minutes, you don’t need to crisp it completely.  Now, add the mushrooms and sauce until they are nicely browned and their moisture has evaporated, about 5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper. 

Pour the Marsala in the pan and boil down for a few seconds to cook out the alcohol.  Add the chicken stock and simmer for a few minutes, until the sauce is reduced. 

Stir in the butter and return the chicken to the pan, simmer gently until the chickened is heated through.Season with salt and pepper and garnish with the parsley before serving.