Marsala Monday

Tonight I made chicken marsala, one of Tom’s favorites. Actually, whenever I ask him to give me dinner ideas for the week, he brings up marsala about 90% of the time. Usually I serve it with a creamy Parmesan orzo but I decided to make it with whole wheat fettuccini and, after it was cooked, I tossed it with a little butter, thawed frozen peas, and some Pecorino Romano. I cut some of the oil/butter out of the marsala and it came out just as tasty. 🙂

Chicken Marsala

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 tsp oregano
1.5 tbsp butter, divided
1 tbsp olive oil
8 oz fresh sliced mushrooms (I like to use cremini)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp dry sherry
1/2 cup marsala
1/4 cup chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste

Mix together flour, oregano and basil in a pie plate/shallow bowl or a resealable bag. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper, and dredge in flour mixture, shaking off excess.

Heat a deep skillet over medium heat and then add 1/2 tablespoon butter butter with olive oil.  Once the butter has melted into the oil, add the chicken breasts and cook  until done, about 3-5 minutes per side, depending on thickness. Remove to a plate and keep warm.

Add the remaining tablespoon of butter to the skillet. Stir in the mushrooms and cook until they start giving up their juices, a few minutes. Add a pinch of salt and the garlic, sauteing until fragrant and mushroom juices have evaporated.

Stir in the sherry, marsala, and chicken broth. Scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the skillet and increase the heat to medium-high. Simmer until reduced by about half.  Season to taste. Add chicken back in to warm through if necessary.

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