CHICKEN MARSALA 

Serves: 6

2 packages (about 2 ¼ pounds) boneless, skinless, thinly sliced chicken breasts*

Kosher salt and black pepper 

1 ½ cups all purpose flour 

6(ish)  tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 

1 medium-sized shallot, minced 

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 

14 ounces mixed mushrooms, cleaned and sliced (any kind will do we used ⅔ cremini and ⅓ mixed exotic mushrooms)

⅔ cup Marsala wine (we carry sweet or dry. For this dish we prefer the sweet but both work fine) 

½ cup chicken broth 

5 tablespoons cold butter

Chopped flat leaf parsley for serving

*If your chicken is on the thicker side, consider placing between layers of plastic wrap and pounding out to a thinner cutlet. If that’s too fussy, it’s okay. Your chicken will just take a bit longer to cook through. 

Cook the chicken: heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season the chicken breasts on both sides with plenty of salt and pepper. Scatter the flour in a shallow bowl. Dredge 3-4 chicken breasts in flour and shake the excess off. Sauté the chicken in oil until browned and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side depending on the thickness of the breasts. Fully cooked chicken is 165 degrees. I highly recommend a good, instant read meat thermometer to all cooks, experienced and novice. Why are you guessing?

As they finish, transfer cooked chicken to a platter and tent with foil. Continue in batches with the remaining chicken breasts, adding a little bit more oil to the pan if needed and letting it fully warm up before sautéing each round. Once all the chicken is cooked, keep it covered and set aside while you finish the mushrooms and sauce. 

Make the Marsala sauce and mushrooms: wipe the skillet out with a paper towel and heat an additional two tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for about 2-3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring often until softened and browned, about 5-7 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper. 

Pour in the Marsala and chicken broth, turn the heat up slightly and let it bubble on medium-high until the liquid reduces by about half: about 3-4 minutes. Turn the heat off, add the five tablespoons of butter and whisk it in as it melts, creating a smooth, silky sauce. Pour the sauce and mushrooms over the chicken, garnish with parsley and serve. 

For a complete meal: add a simple green salad and a big loaf of crusty bread for sopping up the sauce. In cooler weather months, we love this with pasta or mashed potatoes but to lighten it up for summer weather, we love the simplicity of salad and bread.

This dish was slightly adapted from the recipe found in cookbook author Dan Pelosi’s book Let’s Eat. If you enjoy this recipe, follow him on instagram @grossypelosi 

BEVERAGE PAIRING SUGGESTIONS: 

Chicken Marsala is a classic for a reason. The combination of earthy mushrooms with slightly sweet Marsala wine is perfectly enhanced by aromatic garlic and shallots and not much else. The end result is so much greater than the sum of its parts and we love matching this dish with some of our favorite bottles. In cooler weather, we lean towards light and lively Italian reds; but in summer, we go white all the way. 

A perennial favorite among our customers and wine staff alike, the Sean Minor California Series Chardonnay is a lights out match here. Golden colored in the glass with aromas of stone fruit and guava on the nose. On the palate, this chard is bright, balanced and perfectly textured. With flavors of ripe peach, roasted pears and crisp granny smith apples, this wine has racy acidity, restrained oak and a clean, mineral-driven finish. A lovely chardonnay for any day of the week, we particularly love this wine with creamy pastas, crispy fried seafood and mushroom dishes, like this.