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Chicken Marsala
By Jeff Becker Photography By Marty Snortum Studio
In my restaurant days, Chicken Marsala was my favorite employee meal. The restaurant I worked at allowed each employee one free meal per shift, and while I had much more lavish items to choose from (and more expensive), I routinely picked the Marsala for its unique blend of mushrooms with the sweetness of the wine.
This dish should be served with a nice wild rice or rice pilaf and paired with a white Burgundy wine. It should also be noted that the outcome of this is greatly affected by the quality of the Marsala you use. Using a better wine will make a better sauce. It’s that simple.
 CHICKEN MARSALA*
SERVES 4
4 skinned chicken breast halves, boned,
skinned, and in scallopines or paillards.
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp olive oil
3 cups of sliced mushrooms (any combination
of shitake, morel, chanterelle, and button)
11/2 tbsp minced shallots
1/4 cup Marsala wine (high quality, dry)
11/2 cups of chicken stock
Pinch salt
Pinch ground pepper
Wondra flour or cornstarch to thicken as needed.
1. Halve the chicken breasts by putting your palm on the top side of the breast and inserting your knife into the middle of the thickest part of the breast. Draw it almost all the way through. When you are finished, the breast should open into the
shape of a heart. Place each slice between 2 pieces of waxed paper [or plastic wrap] and pound them with the flat side of a meat pounder [or rolling pin] until thin. Dredge each breast in the flour and shake off excess.
2. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a medium sauce pan and sauté floured chicken breasts just until cooked, about 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Lift out of skillet and set aside.
3. Heat remaining teaspoon of olive oil in a medium skillet and cook shallots until brown. Add mushrooms and cook until the liquid given off from the mushrooms is evaporated.
4. Add Marsala. After 2 minutes add chicken stock. Simmer until liquid is reduced by one half. Thicken with Wondra flour if necessary. Salt and pepper to taste. Return chicken to sauce briefly, and plate. Serve sauce over chicken.
* Adapted from Great Tastes: Healthy Cooking from Canyon Ranch Cookbook, 1992
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