Chicken Marsala

Chicken Marsala is one of those comforting, yummy dishes that can be dressed up or down. For example it's ease makes it a dish you could make for dinner on a week night, but it's elegance makes it appropriate to serve for a special occasion. The crispy chicken and creamy, slightly sweet sauce make for a delicious combination. Finished with bright lemon and fresh parsley, this dish will become one of your favorites too. 

Chicken Marsala
Ingredients:
4  chicken breasts
1 cup breadcrumbs (Italian work great here)
1/2 cup flour
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil
8 oz white mushrooms, sliced thin
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 cups Marsala cooking wine
1 tbsp butter, softened
1 tbsp flour
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 lemon, juiced
2 tbs chopped fresh parsley

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. In a shallow bowl or pie plate, combine bread crumbs, flour, salt and pepper dredge each chicken breast in flour and set aside. In a large pot heat vegetable oil until bubbling. On medium high heat cook each chicken breast until the coating is golden brown but chicken is not necessarily cooked through about 3 - 5 minutes per side, place chicken on a sheet pan and finish cooking in the oven, until chicken registers at 165 degrees internal or is no longer pink inside about 10 minutes, depending on how big the chicken breasts are.

In the same pot add a tablespoon of butter and the mushrooms cook on medium heat until the mushrooms are browned and fragrant about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, about 3 minutes. Turn heat to medium low and add the Marsala wine to the pot to deglaze, it will steam (a lot), so be prepared. Whisk to loosen any stuck bits of goodness from the bottom of the pot. Let wine to simmer on medium low heat, it will reduce to about a cup, this should take 5 - 7 minutes. In a small bowl combine the soft butter and the flour to make a paste whisk it in to the reduced wine and allow it to become thick.

Finish by adding cream, lemon juice and parsley, let it combine and simmer for a minute or two. Add the chicken breasts back to the sauce and serve over garlic mashed potatoes or pasta. Enjoy!

*Marsala cooking wine can be found in the isle of the grocery store where you might find balsamic vinegar, or red wine vinegar, usually near the salad dressings. Regular Marsala wine can be used here as well. The difference between Marsala cooking wine and Marsala wine is in the alcohol content, if you're really curious about it google it. In either case the alcohol cooks out during the reduction process.