Chicken and Mushroom Marsala

Continuing in my obsession with this lady’s food , I made this tasty dish today. The onions and mushrooms come together very nicely with the sweetness of the marsala, and the chicken cooked in the sauce is ridiculously tender. Also, no fear of overcooking the chicken in an attempt to escape salmonella! Cooking the chicken in the sauce virtually guarantees moistness.  

On a somewhat related note, it has always been a challenge for me to find marsala in the wine section of a grocery store. Today, with no helpful wine expert to direct me in Safeway (Whole Foods, you spoil me), I spent a good 10 minutes searching up and down the aisle before finding it in next to the sherries and ports. Since I am kind of uneducated about wines and liquors in general, here is what I learned:

• Marsala is a fortified wine, meaning that it is combined with added alcohol (which has a natural preservative function). 
• There are sweet and dry versions, which can be matched to the recipe (I got a medium sweet one)
• The color varies from gold to red, which is why Wynn, Karen and  I were confused about what color it should be… turns out we were all correct!
• Because it is fortified and also often used in cooking, grocery stores will most likely carry it with other fortified wines or in a cooking wine section.  I found this bottle for about 5 bucks, and have plenty left. Since mine’s sweet I might try it by itself as a dessert wine…

Anyway, here are pictures and the recipe! Enjoy!

Chicken and Mushroom Marsala (recipe taken from Smitten Kitchen)

• 3 whole boneless chicken breasts with skin (about 2 1/2 pounds), halved  (I just used boneless thighs again for the lower price)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 onion, sliced thin
• 3/4 pound mushrooms, sliced thin
• 1/2 cup Marsala
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. In a large heavy skillet heat oil and 1 1/2 tablespoons butter over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and brown chicken in 2 batches, transferring with tongs to a large plate as browned.

Discard all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet and saute onion and mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until liquid mushrooms give off is evaporated. Add Marsala and cook mixture, stirring, until Marsala is almost evaporated. Add broth and chicken with any juices that have accumulated on plate and simmer, turning chicken once, until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Transfer chicken with tongs to a platter.

Simmer mushroom sauce until liquid is reduced to about 1/2 cup. Remove skillet from heat and stir in remaining 2 tablespoons butter and salt and pepper to taste, stirring until butter is just incorporated. Spoon mushroom sauce around chicken and sprinkle with parsley.