Chicken Marsala

over egg noodles

I recently posted a recipe for chicken masala and I got the impression that some of you out there may have thought I was posting one your favorites, chicken marsala. Obviously, I can see where there might be confusion. So having never made chicken marsala (and not wanting to disappoint), I saw this as an opportunity to give the people what they want and try a new dish at the same time.

Well thanks people, because I loved it! It was scrumptious. Of course now that I have a recipe for both chicken masala and chicken marsala, I find myself exaggerating the 'r' and saying it like a pirate...chicken marrrrsala, matey.

 

CHICKEN MARSALA

Yield: 4 servings

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon Essence of Emeril Original Seasoning* (available at many supermarkets)

2 (6 to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in halves and pounded thin

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 cups sliced mushrooms (cremini, oyster, shiitake)

3/4 cup Marsala wine

1 cup chicken stock

salt and freshly ground black pepper

chopped chives, for garnish

1.      In a shallow bowl or plate combine the flour and Essence and stir to combine thoroughly. Quickly dredge the chicken breast halves in the seasoned flour mixture, shaking to remove any excess flour.

2.      Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot but not smoking. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and cook the chicken breasts until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

3.      Add 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter to the pan and add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are golden brown around the edges and have given off their liquid.

4.      Add the Marsala wine and bring to a boil, scraping to remove any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. When the wine has reduced by half, add the chicken stock and cook for 3 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened slightly.

5.      Lower the heat to medium and return the chicken breasts to the pan and continue to cook until they are cooked through and the sauce has thickened, about 5 to 6 minutes.

6.      Swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter; add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with chopped chives and serve immediately.

*Essence of Emeril Seasoning

(Yield: about 2/3 cup)

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.

recipe from Emeril Lagasse

the bottle
(just to really drive the point home)

I was lucky to find a package of already sliced mushrooms
in the exact combo the recipe calls for (creminis are also
known as baby bellas). I guess it was just meant to be.

I had never made one of Emeril's recipes (or bought
his spice mix) before.  I'm glad I gave it a shot.

note where it says "easy open" in the upper right hand corner
(don't believe it, I was wrestling with that thing for 5 minutes
before I gave up and hacked my way in with a knife)

dredging the flattened chicken

chicken cooking

I learned a valuable lesson while flattening my chicken (which was a first for this former vegetarian). Don't use the bumpy end of the meat tenderizer for this job (I'm guessing it's for heartier meat like beef). It mangled my first attempt (go ahead and take a wild guess which one it is in the photo above). The smooth side worked way better.

chicken browned

mushrooms cooking with wine

chicken marrrsala