Chicken Marsala

Prep 15 mins Cook 40 mins Active 30 mins Total 55 mins Serves 4 

 

·       1 1/4 cups (300ml) Marsala wine

·       3/4 cup (180ml) homemade chicken stock

·       1 packet unflavored gelatin (2only needed if using store bought stock)

·       4 boneless, skinless chicken cutlets, each pounded about 1/2 to 1/4 inch thick

·       Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

·       About 1 cup all-purpose flour (5 ounces; 140g), for dredging

·       1/4 cup (60ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 Tbs. of butter

·       10 ounces (280g) cremini mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced

·       4 medium shallots (6 ounces; 165g), minced

·       2 medium cloves garlic, minced

·       1 teaspoon (about 3g) minced fresh thyme leaves

·       3 tablespoons (45g) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

·       1 teaspoon (5ml) soy sauce

·       White wine vinegar, sherry vinegar, or fresh lemon juice, to taste

·       Minced fresh parsley, for garnish

Combine Marsala and stock in a mixing bowl or large measuring cup and sprinkle gelatin all over surface if using store bought stock. Set aside.

Season chicken cutlets all over with salt and pepper. Pour a roughly 1/2-inch layer of flour into a wide, shallow bowl. Dredge each cutlet in flour, tap off excess, and transfer to clean plate.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in batches if necessary, add chicken and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Using a slotted spatula, transfer to paper towels to drain.

To make the sauce melt about 1 Tbs. of butter to the skillet, add the sliced mushrooms and cover for a few minutes to allow the mushrooms to sweat, then stir frequently, until mushrooms have dried and browned well, about 10 minutes. Add more butter at any time if you like, the shallots, garlic, and thyme and cook, stirring, until shallots are translucent, about 2 minutes.

Pour Marsala mixture into pan, making sure to scrape in all the gelatin. Bring to a boil, whisking and scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pan, until liquids are reduced by about three-quarters. Add the final butter and soy sauce and whisk constantly until emulsified and sauce takes on the consistency of heavy cream. Season with salt and pepper. Taste sauce and adjust with a small amount of vinegar or lemon juice, as needed.

Return chicken cutlets to pan, swirling to bathe them in the sauce and warm them through. If the sauce begins to break at any point, swirl in a splash of water to bring it back together. Transfer to a warmed serving plate, spooning sauce all over chicken. Garnish with parsley and serve with bread and roasted carrots.